


Boss doesn't know it yet

by Sweetnekocat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Romance, Slow Burn, nothing graphic tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2019-09-26 14:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 146,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17143247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetnekocat/pseuds/Sweetnekocat
Summary: After achieving his dreams with the crew, Sanji starts a new life and decides to open his own restaurant. In the midst of the preparations for the opening of the restaurant he can’t help but feel lonely as he misses the crew that accompanied him throughout the journey to search for his dream.He’s worried about the new life he has chosen to follow and if he will be able to accomplish his new goals being alone and without anyone next to him, but all of that changes when his captain enters his life once again like a storm.Without a clear destination Luffy says that he will wait for him until he’s settled and they can start a new trip together, but does he want that?Sanji is indecisive about everything as he is the boss of his own restaurant, but living with Luffy doesn’t look too bad…Or at least that’s what he hopes for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! It's me again with the usual Sanlu as always!  
> I have been working in many ideas, but funny as it is, this one was the last one I started and the most advanced to this point for some strange reason.  
> As the tag says it will be a slow burn and from what I'm seeing while writing it will be long, probably the longest one I have ever written yet.  
> I don't know the exact schedule to post this fic yet, but tomorrow I will also post a new chapeter as a Christmas special!  
> Also I'm not a native english speaker and for that reason in my past fics I wrote dialogue differently as where I come from it's not like in english. I wanted to improve that and I started to write them as the norm says. If you haven't read my previous fic this will go unnoticed, but if not then I hope it looks better and it's easier to read too!  
> Without further ado, here it is! Hope you guys like it!

1.

 

Sanji wanted to do something different and so, instead of creating a restaurant in the middle of the ocean like Zeff, he decided that he would build one in firm land. Of course he knew the reasons behind the creation of the Baratie, but it wasn’t on his plans to make something so similar. He had chosen an island that was equidistant to various places so people could pass by and eat when they needed it. As always he wouldn’t care if the carried money with them to pay, but he only wanted them to have something good or to fill their stomachs in case something like a shipwreck happened.

That way he started a new journey and a new dream to fulfill. He wasn’t anymore with the crew as they had achieved their goals together. He had already found the All Blue and the rest accomplished their wishes in the same fashion. He was happy about it, but it was time to begin something new. He had already visited Zeff to tell him all about his adventures with the crew, but while at first he had been lost on what path to follow, in his stay at the Baratie he had come to the conclusion that he wanted to do something like what Zeff had done with his own touch.

He began a journey through the Grand Line again and was now currently in an island in the New World. He had thought that the place where the seas were the roughest was in this side of the world and had chosen an island that could be accessible easily for anyone that was travelling. The island named Lovebird seemed to be the best option to open his restaurant and he had begun preparations for it.

He had called Franky so he could help him build the restaurant and the man had accepted. He hadn’t wanted to call Usopp to help since he thought he would be too busy with his friend Kaya as much as he envied that. And so, he had asked Franky to bring every material necessary for the construction of the restaurant. He would pay him later with some of the treasure they had divided when they had parted ways.

Sanji really missed the crew sometimes, but he liked to think that each of one of them was doing what they wanted and were happy. This new restaurant was his own manner of beginning something since he desired to create a place where he belonged. He knew that the Straw hat crew was something he would always be a part of, but he needed something new as he couldn’t stay stuck in the past.

Franky was supposed to arrive soon that day and he had been staying in an inn from one of the biggest towns that were in that island. He would go to wait for him at the port and so was now making his way through the city calmly. A good thing about the town was that there were a lot of pretty women. He hoped they would go to his restaurant once it was open.

Since he would be the one in charge of everything that meant that he needed other cooks as well as waiters. He would start hiring people when the construction of the restaurant was finished. He knew that a lot of cooks would want to work with him since he was very well known around the world and he was the best cook out there so it was just a thing of advertising it a little and then people would come on their own. Also, he had the advantage that he had access to the All Blue so of course most cooks would want to work with ingredients that refined and rare.

When he got to the port he saw a medium ship that was as bizarre as something could get. It was painted with flashy colors and he would have to be an idiot to not recognize that Franky had arrived. He went to look for him to the ship and he saw something that practically killed him on the spot.

Franky, who was supposed to come alone, wasn’t alone, but instead was with Robin and not only that as they were locking lips and he couldn’t believe it. He almost wanted to cry. Why did it have to be Franky and not him the lucky one?

“Robin!” He exclaimed loudly and the couple separated. The two smiled widely at him, but he wasn’t having any of it. “What are you doing?”

He asked hoping that she wouldn’t confirm that they were together and would say that they were practicing CPR for farfetched that it sounded. He just didn’t want to face a reality where Franky was the chosen one for his dear Robin.

“I was just kissing my fiancé,” she said with a smile and he wasn’t breathing anymore.

Seeing his reaction, Franky laughed and told him to take it better and that he was invited to their wedding. If he wasn’t crying before now he definitely was. How could all of this happen? He knew that Robin had gone with Franky to Water 7, but he had thought it would be for a short time until she found something else to do. That was obviously not the case and now they were going to marry.

It took him a good amount of time to finally recover from the impression and when he was breathing normally he asked the only thing that was on his mind.

“How? You were together alone for only three months and now you want to marry?” He said while trying to understand because to him it didn’t make sense.

The crew had only separated about three months ago and they hadn’t received much news about each other, but he thought this was noteworthy to say the least. Seriously, how did this happen when they had been together for such a short time? Would something like that happen too if she had gone with him instead? That was a painful thought so he preferred to just let it go.

“I think we have always liked each other a lot and I wanted to try to be with him on our own and see if it could work. It did and now we have decided that we want to do this,” she said with the same smile while she took Franky’s hand in a loving way.

That explained that if she had gone with him then nothing would have happened because she actually liked Franky since before, but there was still something he didn’t get.

“Isn’t it too soon? You have only been together for not longer than three months. In my opinion you’re rushing too much,” he said trying to warn them, but they only continued to smile.

“You’re worrying too much, Sanji! When you find the right person you’ll do something similar. Just let the power of love into your heart! Super!” Franky exclaimed in his usual way.

He wasn’t sure about any of that so he only nodded not all too convinced. He was a firm believer of love, but it just hadn’t knocked on his door and while many people told him to relax since he was still very young he felt lonely. He tried to cover his disappointment at being alone at the age of 24 and told the couple to show him the things they had brought.

His crewmates led him inside the ship and Franky showed him a big pile of wood along with tons of nails and tools. He smiled and thanked him for the moment forgetting about his sadness. They continued talking about the details for the construction of the restaurant and he told them that he had already permission from the town’s mayor to open it. He had thought it would be more difficult since he was a pirate, but he had the impression that the man was actually really into the idea since it would bring tourists.

When they checked everything he guided them to the town so they could eat something together. They went to a small coffee shop near the port that was pretty good and began talking about what they had been doing the past months. He said that he had been at the Baratie visiting those good for nothing cooks and looking for new things to do when the idea of opening a restaurant got in his head. After that he thought about how he would do everything needed to open the restaurant and where he would locate it. Then he had started the actual preparations and had called Franky to help him.

Robin told him that Franky and she had spent their time together ever since they separated and that it had been really different to the relationship they had back at the Sunny with everyone. She said that it was distinct, but that both cherished their moments as a crew a lot. Franky related that he had been helping Iceburg to transform Water 7, but that it hadn’t taken him too long as everything was pretty much done and he had only fixed some things. Then he said that they were preparing a new trip before they got married with Robin around the world, but in another ship.

They looked really happy and he felt glad for them even if he had never expected for them to be together. He still felt kind of stupid for not noticing sooner that they liked each other, but he supposed Robin and Franky were better at hiding things than what he gave them credit for. He also couldn’t shake up this bitter feeling inside his heart that just wouldn’t leave him alone.

He didn’t wish anything bad for them as he was a close friend of both, but he felt something akin to envy and jealousy. He knew that he didn’t like Robin that way even if he would love to be with her, but that was mostly born on his desire to be with pretty women than actual interest. Not that Robin wasn’t interesting because she was probably the most brilliant and intelligent person he had ever met, but he didn’t feel attracted to her because of it and he knew that Franky valued that a lot more than he did.

As the night grew closer they went outside the coffee shop and they decided that they would initiate works tomorrow morning. He told the couple that they could go to the inn he was staying at the moment, but they said that they preferred to stay on the ship since the materials could be stolen if no one was there to guard them. He thanked them for the gesture and told them that he would cook them something for dinner.

Sanji went with his friends to their ship and entered the kitchen to prepare them something. The place was really cozy and he thought it was perfect for a couple so he decided to bake some cookies for them to have when they were alone. They had the basic to survive, but he was known for being able to prepare things with the minimum.

When he was done he served them the dishes and tried to leave them alone since he didn’t want to be the third wheel at all, but they made him stay anyway. He seriously tried to make up excuses to leave, but they found reasonable solutions to every made up problem he had and so he had to eat with them.

It was cool to talk with some of his crewmates even if they were only three, but the bond they had was so different to the friendships he had with other people outside the crew. They were so special in his heart and having them close made him remember how much he actually missed them. He missed each one of them in his own way, but he preferred to put those thoughts behind whenever they popped up in his mind to not feel sad.

After they had eaten everything he said it was already late and said goodbye to the couple. He went to the inn feeling a combination of happiness and sadness. The happiness was obvious to feel since he had seen his crewmates, but the sting of an uncalled nostalgia was there. He got that he could get a little bit sad that he couldn’t be with his crewmates anymore, but to feel that much was bothersome as there wasn’t a real reason to be that way. That Robin and Franky were together was amazing and it couldn’t be a source of melancholia for him. Maybe he just felt too alone and wanted to have something like what they had.

Coming with that as a conclusion he entered the inn. He asked for the keys of his room to an old lady that worked there and then he went to his room. A cat that belonged there always followed to his room in the second floor and this time it was no exception. He went inside his room with the cat behind him and he held the door open for the cat to come in. Normally he wouldn’t have let it come in with him, but this cat was kind of cute and he didn’t mind the feline’s company since he felt that it could cheer him up a little.

He changed into his pajamas and sat on his bed with the cat in his lap. It was too early to sleep and he didn’t have much to do so he started thinking about everything he would need to do for the restaurant. For starters he needed to overview the blueprints for the place, not because he didn’t trust Franky, but because he wanted it to have his personal touch. He had to post information that he would be hiring cooks and waiters and at the same time promote the restaurant. He also needed to ask Franky to build him a ship with a freezer so he could retrieve fish from the All Blue. He didn’t know how much all of that would cost him, but he hoped that Franky wouldn’t charge him for it too much.

When he saw that it was the right time to sleep he put the covers over him and the cat put itself in his pillow, but he really didn’t care that time. Not long took for him to fall asleep and after some hours before the sun rose he got up. He did the usual of getting up early even if there was no need for him to do so as he didn’t have to cook anything for anyone.

He had been itching to cook for someone and yesterday had been almost a gift for him since he could finally prepare something. Since he was at an inn that meant that the food was prepared for him. He had never liked being served, but he had other things to do and so he didn’t care at the moment. When his restaurant was ready he would be able to cook everything he wanted.

When he was ready he went down to have breakfast and after that he went to the ship where Franky and Robin were. He knew he was going really early, but he preferred to start the works for the restaurant soon. When he arrived at the ship the sun was already out and he hoped the couple was up, if not he felt he would intrude.

Thankfully when he got inside he saw that they were having breakfast and when he made his presence known they received him with smiles and asked him if he wanted to eat. He refused, but thanked them. He waited for them to be finished with everything and when they were ready he led them to the terrain where the restaurant was going to be built.

It was a place not in the center of the city since everything there was already taken, but it wasn’t that far from it either so people wouldn’t have trouble looking for it. It was also near the port so whoever desired to come from there would find it easily. Aside from asking for permission to put the restaurant in the town, he had to pay a good amount of money for it. Usually, he would have put the place without asking anyone or paying any money, but he wanted to start doing things in the right way and he guessed that was how.

When they arrived at the terrain he showed it to Franky while he studied how he would put everything together. Franky said he had already an idea of what he would do, but that he needed to measure the place and have his opinion for the blueprints. He started gauging the terrain while Robin and he talked about many things. He was curious about what the rest had been up, but Robin said that she didn’t know more than what he did.

She said that she knew Nami was at her hometown and that Chopper was giving classes in a medicine school. Usopp was in his town as well and Brook was giving concerts around the world. She said she knew that Jinbei had been helping Fishman Island to move to the earth and that she had heard that Luffy was seen in some islands, but that he wasn’t in just one place and that he was hard to locate. About Zoro, she said that she didn’t have information of his whereabouts, but he really didn’t care about him anyway.

It didn’t take Franky too much time to measure everything and after that he started working in a blueprint. He called him over when he was done and started indicating where everything would go. He began by pointing where the dining room would be, then he continued with the actual kitchen and other places like the bathroom, the pantry and the place where the staff would rest.

He mentioned that he wanted the restaurant to have a terrace and a place where live bands could play since he thought that would be interesting. He also asked Franky to create a second floor where he would live because he needed somewhere close to the restaurant and he thought that was the best place. As he was used to live in the restaurant itself back in the Baratie, this was no different.

Franky accepted and went back to put the new additions in the blueprints. He went back to talk with Robin about what they would do in their travel with Franky. She said that she wanted to rebuild libraries across the world where information about the Void Century was stored and teach many people about the secrets of the world. Then she said that she needed Franky’s help to create those libraries so they would be incredibly busy.

He told her that he thought it was impressive everything they would be doing and that he felt really happy for them. She smiled at him and said that she also liked what he was preparing. She commented that it was great that he wanted to cook to a lot of people with what he had found in the All Blue. He didn’t think he was that great as he wasn’t going to share with people what or where the All Blue really was. Of course he had wanted at first to actually show the place to people, but now he had his own reasons not to.

Not long took Franky to finish the new blueprint and he showed it to him. He liked it a lot and with that they went to bring the wood and tools to begin with the construction. The three of them each carried something to the terrain, but the only one that actually worked was Franky that said that neither knew how to build anything. He didn’t think that was true, but he still had things he needed to do so he didn’t care.

He left the couple alone to ask someone to make posters for the advertising of the restaurant and hiring the personnel. He needed at least ten cooks, four kitchen assistants and five waiters for the moment. He still had to see how the business would go and then hire more people according to how things were going, but for the meantime he thought that quantity was okay.  

He went to a marketing office where they advertised things and he asked a man if they could do posters with what he needed. The man asked him if he had any sketch, but he just shook his head. The man said that he needed to give specific directions for what he was asking and he was getting kind of angry. This was exactly why being in a crew was so cool; if Usopp had been there he would have already prepared something. Instead, he was alone and didn’t have any idea of what he wanted in the poster so he told the man to do the simplest thing, but with the necessary information about what he needed for the cooks and the restaurant.

The man told him that they could only do the poster to hire personnel since the restaurant still didn’t have a name. He agreed with that and asked to publish them all over the world if possible. The man said that it would cost more money like that, but that they could do it. He paid half the money since he had to pay the total when the posters were out in three more days. When that was settled he went to where Franky and Robin were.

He arrived back at the terrain and he was surprised because Franky was already digging deep in the ground to build the restaurant. He asked Franky how long it would take for him to have everything ready and he said that no longer than a week. He was astonished for he had thought it would take him probably a month, but Franky was Franky and he was a genius in what he did so it was actually expected.

He also asked Franky to build him a small ship that could carry the things from the All Blue and he accepted easily. Franky told him that he needed to give him the name of the restaurant to put it in a big placard in the front of the building, but he said that for the moment he didn’t have any idea. He just didn’t know how he would name the place. It had to be something personal, but at the same time interesting. Nevertheless, he still had a week to think about it.

Sanji asked the couple if they could lend him the ship’s kitchen to cook them something and they agreed. He went alone to prepare them something and then he brought the food with him so they could eat. Then he went back to the city to continue with his duties as the man in charge of the restaurant.

He had to make contacts with food providers so he went to the town’s market to find the best place to buy vegetables and meat. He walked around the whole market and when he thought he had found the best shops he went to speak with each owner and explained to them that he was going to open a restaurant and that he wanted to make a deal with them so they could provide him with their supplies. The man that owned the greengrocery accepted easily, but the one from the butcher shop didn’t want to at first. He had to convince him for some time, but when he told him that the place was going to be huge the man ended up accepting.

He still had to make deals with the fishermen and buy crockery, glasses and cookware. He had to buy and prepare so many things and details that it was overwhelming, but he would buy most things when the restaurant was ready. He also had to buy the things for his house, but that was really in the back of his mind and he would probably get those things with time.

When the sun was already setting he went to see Robin and Franky with food for dinner. He saw the advances and was amazed because Franky was really giving it his all in building the place. He was past putting some wood in the terrain and he told him that he would spend the whole night working as well, but he said that it wasn’t necessary as he wasn’t in a hurry to open the restaurant anyway. He ate with them and when it was late he went to the inn while Franky stayed at the terrain and Robin went to guard their ship. He felt kind of guilty that they couldn’t be together, but the couple reassured him that it was fine since it would only be for a week.

That way, each day he went to cook them food and the rest of the time he prepared the things for the restaurant. As he had been told, at the third day the posters that said he needed cooks and waiters were out for the whole world to see. It wasn’t something impressive, but he knew people would come. He hoped they were capable though, as he seriously didn’t want anyone ruining things in his kitchen. He had had enough of that with Luffy when they travelled together so now he was beginning something new entirely.

With every passing day he saw how the restaurant was taking form. He had the impression that Franky was working at night even if he had told him not to, but the man was too stubborn and he knew that when he was focused in something there was no stopping him.

The restaurant at first only had its foundations, but soon the rest of the edification could be seen and even the second floor was visible. At the third day the place was practically built in its totality and it was missing the decorations and the ovens for the kitchen along with the chairs and tables for the dining room. Franky was such a perfectionist that he took one whole day in preparing and decorating just the bathroom. The same went for the kitchen, but he took two days instead. When the actual restaurant was ready he continued with his own house in the second floor and without him really noticing everything was ready in a week as Franky had said.

When the restaurant was finally built he had started to buy the things for it and the basic things for his house as well. The only thing that was missing was a name for the placard since he seriously didn’t have any idea. He tried to come up with tons of things, but all sounded bad or fake to him. Robin and Franky tried to help with a name, but their recommendations were either creepy or just absurd and over the top so he rejected them nicely.

Since he had stated that he would start the interviews to hire personnel the next day he was kind of stressed as he still didn’t have a name for the restaurant and Franky and Robin couldn’t leave without the placard ready. The couple reassured him that they didn’t mind staying longer with him. He still didn’t like the idea of delaying them from their new journey around the world so he spent the whole time he worked on things thinking about a name for his restaurant.

He moved out from the inn and put his clothes and the treasure he still had in his new house. It was still time before dinner, but he continued thinking about possible names for the restaurant. He had invited the couple to stay with him for dinner in his house. He had bought the basic things to live there and the kitchen was usable so they stayed on the second floor waiting for him to cook something.

The kitchen was only separated from the dining room and the living room through a counter so he could see Robin and Franky talking amicably. In small actions like that he could notice that they were really in love and he felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. From the way they stared at each other to how they laughed about their jokes (really bad ones to be honest) it was noticeable how special their relationship was.

As always a pang of jealousy and envy was palpable in his heart. He felt like trash for having those emotions towards his friends, but he couldn’t help it. In his search for his dreams he had found friends, adventures and at the end the actual goal, but love seemingly wasn’t something he had encountered for much that his efforts went that way too. He had been so busy preparing things for the restaurant that he hadn’t been able to flirt with any pretty lady out there and that only made his mood worse.

Still, he tried to put those uncalled thoughts behind and focused again on coming up with a good name. He had nothing even when trying so he just kept cooking. When he had everything ready he served the dishes at the new table and called the couple to eat. They started eating and not long passed when he felt a knock on the door that was to the side of the house.

The building had two ways to get in his house and that was through the restaurant or directly by a door that had stairs connected to it. He went to see who it was that was so late even if tons of people had come to see the construction of the restaurant in the previous days since it was something new in the city and people liked fresh things, especially if they were the first ones to see what it was about.

He opened the door and saw that it was one of the fishermen that were in the port. He asked him what he wanted and the man exclaimed that he needed to go with him to the port. He grew worried and asked him again what was going on, but the man said that he needed to see it for himself. He told Robin and Franky that something was happening at the port so he had to go and they went with him, thinking that something could have occurred with their ship.

In their way to the harbor he kept asking the man what was wrong, but since the man was running he didn’t say anything. He was getting really nervous about the whole thing, whatever it was.

When they finally arrived at the port after a short run the man led him to where the problem was. There were tons of people reunited covering whatever it was, but when he was close enough he knew right at that moment what the problem was though not what was really going on.

He was even more worried and when he could see the “problem” lying there he knew that only headaches would come his way. Then he heard something he thought he would never listen again.

“Sanji, meat…” A plaintive voice said and he let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding.

Really, this guy was too much even for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy arrives once again back at Sanji's life, but he wants more from him than he can give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, I posted a new chapter today! For the next chapters I really don't know when I'll post them, but I'm thinking of something in the lines of Sunday or the New Year!  
> The story will build up slowly and I forgot to mention that there will be OCs that will interact with Sanji and Luffy as well as other canon characters, though I won't reveal them for now.  
> As always, thanks for reading! Hope you guys like it!

2.

 

Sanji couldn’t say he was angry exactly as he was more preoccupied than anything. Lying there on the boards that held the harbor was Luffy looking famished as if he hadn’t eaten for weeks, though, knowing him he probably hadn’t eaten two days top or he would be dead otherwise. His clothes looked like tatters and the only thing in place was his hat.

He went to his side rapidly and picked him a little gently. He called for him, but Luffy wasn’t reacting to anything he said. Instead, all Luffy did was to call for him and ask for meat. He looked everywhere to check possible wounds, but there was no blood anywhere so he assumed he was only starving.

Robin, that was by his side, said that he needed to be brought to his house so he could eat. He picked him up completely and put him in his back to carry him back to his place. He made his way through the people at the port that were still astonished by Luffy’s arrival. If he didn’t know him as much as he did he would be in a similar state, but since he was used to his everyday craziness he thought he was probably just malnourished, though nothing that he couldn’t repair himself.

It was a good thing that his house was close to the port and so he got there fast with his crewmates. Franky went up the stairs before him to open the door and let them in. When they were inside he put Luffy in one of the couches of the living room. He asked Robin to check to the wounds he hadn’t been able to identify while he cooked him something. Franky said that he would ask the people at the port in what condition Luffy had arrived and if he had come in a boat or ship to look for his belongings.

He was torn between cooking something easy for Luffy’s stomach since he hadn’t eaten anything in probably some days and it wasn’t good to eat too much at first or to just go for the usual meat. At the end he decided that meat was the best choice as Luffy was more beast than human and those rules didn’t apply for him anyway.

Robin informed him that she didn’t see anything while she inspected Luffy’s body so she supposed he was fine, but that he needed to eat soon. While he prepared the meat Robin had come to wet a rag to clean Luffy’s face since the guy was actually dirty as hell. He hated that he was spoiling his new furniture, but he would complain about it later. Now he had to get things prepared fast and so he continued cooking meat along with potatoes, rice and spaghetti.

While the things were getting cooked, Franky arrived with two suitcases that he guessed were Luffy’s. As he put a plate for Luffy with food Franky started relating them what he had found out. He said that the fishermen had seen a boat arriving at the island, but that it seemed it was adrift and was navigating on its own. When it was close enough they brought the boat near the port to tie it in the harbor and they noticed that Luffy was almost passed out there, but that was still conscious enough to try to guide it somehow and repeat unstoppably for him and food.

When everything was ready for Luffy, Franky carried him to the table and sat him. Luffy had kept calling for him and meat repeatedly almost like a zombie. He took a fork and handed it to Luffy so he could eat, but Luffy wasn’t responding and let the holder fall many times. Seeing that his plan wasn’t working he took the fork again and picked a good piece of meat. He put it in front of Luffy’s mouth and it seemed the smell woke him up a little. He chomped the meat strongly and it was a marvel he hadn’t broken the fork or his teeth.

He ate that and then let go of the fork he was holding with his teeth. When it landed on the table he picked it up on his own and started eating like a monster. With little time his eyes that showed that he wasn’t seeing anything started getting back to normal. He stopped calling for meat and him and when he was done with that first piece of meat he was fully conscious.

It was like he had woken up from a deep slumber and upon seeing them he smiled at them as if they had just met. He said a loud hi to them and asked for meat. He brought him a second portion and the other things he had prepared for him. He accepted them gladly and ate happily. He tried speaking with them, but he shut him up since nothing was clear from what he was saying.

When he was stuffed he started speaking again. He asked them if they weren’t going to eat their food, but he responded that since he had come like that they had forgotten about their food. He went to reheat their meals and when he served the plates to Robin and Franky, Luffy pouted. He scolded him because he seriously couldn’t have thought they weren’t going to eat because of him.

While they ate they asked Luffy what he had been doing and why he had ended in that state.

“I had already visited my family and some friends at my town so I thought it would be cool to travel around the world for some time, but the more I continued to go alone the worse I ate. I was really lost on what to do, but then I saw that you were opening a restaurant and I decided to come,” he said with one of those smiles that reached his eyes.

“I get that you didn’t eat well, but that doesn’t really explain how you ended almost dead. Also, I still don’t understand why you’re here anyways,” he said and he hoped it didn’t sound like he disliked having him at his house.

“Well, I wasn’t having the best food out there and the money I had from the treasure just didn’t last too long cause I spent it in food before. I tried cooking my own things with the money I still had, but they tasted awful,” he said with a grimace. Then he added, “I didn’t have any food, but I wasn’t that far away from here when I read that you were looking for cooks to open a new restaurant so I came to look for you.”

He rolled his eyes. Luffy just didn’t know how to explain things properly. He asked again, “Okay, I get that already, but why are you here?”

“Because I wanted to eat from your food again! It’s the best one so I just had to come,” he said and Sanji had the picture clearer than before.

He still had his doubts so he said, “So you’ll be staying here then?”

“Yes, until you’re ready to travel again with me. I can wait for some time here, but don’t take too long!” He said and he really couldn’t believe it.

This guy was the most selfish person he had ever met. How could he ask him something like that when it was obvious he had a plan to stay there? He preferred to not get annoyed since Luffy probably didn’t understand that so he opted to explain the reality of the situation to him calmly.

“I don’t think that’s going to be so easy. I still have many things to do before I even think about leaving this place. More than a year will take for me to have everything ready and consider going from this place,” he said hoping that the year would put him off and he would change his mind.

“I can wait a year! Not eating is worse than being in just one place so I’ll wait until you have everything ready. I bet things are going to be so much fun!” He exclaimed with happiness.

Since the year thing didn’t work he accepted his fate and agreed to have things ready and travel with him after a year. He knew Luffy well enough and he knew he would get tired of waiting not even for a month so he thought it was alright to just nod along to what his captain proposed. It wasn’t too good that he had lied, but when Luffy left he wouldn’t notice it.

After that they started talking about what they had all been up to. Luffy told them what he had done back in his hometown and in the places he visited after that. Then Robin and Franky told him that they were a couple and that they would get married soon, but that they would tell him the exact date later. To say Luffy was astonished was an understatement as they had to tell him three times for him to get the information right.

When he finally got it they told him about their plans of building libraries all over the world. Luffy got happy at that and said that he hadn’t thought too much about what to do unlike them. Then it was his turn to talk about his plans and he said that he would begin tomorrow with the interviews to hire people so he would be busy. He also mentioned that he needed a name for the restaurant so Franky could put a placard with the name on the front.

Luffy got interested in the whole naming the restaurant thing and started saying atrocious titles for it. They were so awful that he shut him up, but Luffy said that he thought his favorite one “the best place to eat crocodile meat in all the New World is here” was amazing and insisted on it being the official name for the restaurant. Of course he refused, but he still laughed along with Franky and Robin. In a way he had really missed Luffy’s general good mood and funny idiocy.

It was rather late and Franky and Robin said they would leave to their ship. Luffy stayed in his house with him since he had one more spare room. After the couple had left Luffy had wanted to go to sleep immediately, but he stopped him and told him to clean himself since he wouldn’t allow him being dirty in his house. He showed him the bathroom and left him so he could wash himself.

When he was ready Luffy asked him to show him the whole house. He started by the kitchen and he saw how Luffy stared at the refrigerator and he concluded that he would have to go back to put a lock in it like when they navigated together. He continued with the living room since he had been already at the dining room. Then he led him through a corridor where the only bathroom the house had was at the left. On the right side was the spare room and he guided him towards his room.

The room was tidy, but it didn’t have many things yet. He thought the place would be boring for someone like Luffy that preferred flashy things, but he said he liked it a lot. When he was done showing him the house he went to the other room with Luffy and told him that he would be staying there. Luffy grabbed his belongings from the living room and put them on the floor.

Luffy was really tired and said he wanted to sleep, but before he could Sanji warned him about how things would be in his house since he owned the place even if he was still his captain. He told him that he couldn’t under any circumstances open the fridge or enter the kitchen for anything else that wouldn’t be for drinking water and maybe washing the dishes. He told him that he had to shower every day since he wouldn’t allow him to be dirty in his house. He explained that he would have to help clean the house every day too and that if he didn’t he wouldn’t let him to stay with him any longer.

The captain pouted saying those were a lot of things, but he looked at him warily and he nodded. With that both went to sleep in their own rooms and when he changed into his pajamas he lay in his bed. He didn’t know he was that tired, but when he put his head on the pillow he felt asleep almost instantly.

The next day he woke up early as usual and even without really feeling it, in the back of his conscience he knew that Lufffy was there close. The sun wasn’t up yet and he got ready to prepare breakfast. He noticed that the door of the spare room was closed so he guessed that Luffy was still sleeping. When he got to the kitchen to cook something he opened the refrigerator afraid that nothing was there, but thankfully everything was in place.

He picked eggs and bacon to cook for Luffy since he knew he really liked those kinds of food. He made orange juice and before he served everything he noticed that Luffy had come to the dining room. He was still in his pajamas and was rubbing his eyes while yawning. He was sleepy and he wasn’t sure how he got up on his own. He asked him why he was up and he answered that he had sensed something good in the air.

He laughed at that. Luffy really didn’t change at all in those past three months. When everything was ready he served both dishes. Luffy ate his bacon and eggs with a happy expression and when he was done he said that he had really liked it. Then he said that he had really missed eating from his food with small tears in his eyes. He scolded him for being useless in everything aside from fighting, but a small smile formed on his face and Luffy noticed and grinned at him.

After that he told Luffy to wash the dishes, but changed his mind and ushered him to shower since he would start early that day hiring people. He had thought it would be alright to leave Luffy on his own at the house, but then he remembered that the refrigerator didn’t have a lock yet so there was no way in hell he would stay alone.

While he washed everything Luffy was getting changed and after he was done he came back to the dining room with new clothes and his hat on his head. He looked really well, almost as if yesterday hadn’t happened and he had been there for a long time with him. He seemed to notice that he was looking at him, but he didn’t say anything and asked what they would be doing that day. He said that he had already explained yesterday, but he still told him that he had to interview the cooks and waiters for the restaurant.    

He said that he would first have an interview with the potential personnel, but that only the ones he deemed capable were going to show their abilities the next day when he had food ready at the pantry. At the mention of food Luffy’s eyes shone, but he told him that he wouldn’t be getting anywhere near it so it was better for him to forget about it. Luffy pouted, but said that he would help him somehow.

He really had his doubts about it, but he opted to keep quiet. He was sure Luffy wouldn’t last even two weeks there since he would be focused on the opening of the restaurant and wouldn’t give him the attention he always needed. He knew he would get bored soon and that worked on his favor for that way he wouldn’t have to start making excuses to delay the new journey Luffy had asked to begin with him. One could say that all he had to do was to tell him the truth and problem solved; he wouldn’t be wasting his time waiting for him like that, but there was something that didn’t settle well within him in telling Luffy that he didn’t want to go or wasn’t thinking about leaving the restaurant.

In a way it was like he was telling him to leave his house since he wouldn’t accompany him and that just didn’t feel right. Luffy had helped and welcomed him in many occasions even in times when he knew he didn’t deserve it so to push him away from his house and new life would be too cruel. Also, for some reason he thought it was better for him to stay for some time before departing so he could eat properly again even if it was only for the probable two weeks he would be there.

They went down the stairs that led directly from the second floor to the restaurant and when he went to open the doors to see the people waiting for the interviews there were a lot. He had put in the poster that he would start at 10 in the morning and it was only nine, so he decided to start anyway as to not get delayed.

From what he could see there were at least fifty people, but some trees blocked his view so he supposed there were actually more than that. He yelled the instructions that he would start first with the cooks so they had to form in a line according to what their professions were. After the cooks he would continue with the kitchen helpers and then with the waiters.

When everyone was lined up in front of the restaurant he started calling people to begin the interviews. He sat at a table with some folders, white papers and a pen to write down the ones that passed. He would tell everyone the results for the next phase when he was done with the interviews.

Sixty cooks later and he had interviewed all of them in four hours. He had picked twenty possible candidates for the next phase that would consist in actually cooking something he would pick at random since he wanted to test their abilities to prepare anything and not just the plates they were good at. When he had everything ready he stood up and went to the front of the restaurant to announce the cooks that would be coming tomorrow for the next phase of the interview.

He called those twenty names and they cheered while the rest just left dejected. Then he said that there will be a short break of thirty minutes to eat and the rest of the interviews for the others positions would begin. He closed the door of the restaurant and went upstairs with Luffy that was already hungry and saying how much he wanted to eat. It was kind of annoying, but he was hungry too so he just let him be.

He prepared them something simple and they ate ham sandwiches. Luffy said that he had really liked the interviews since most people had been interesting. If by interesting he meant weird, then they definitely were, but a few looked promising so he wasn’t that disappointed. It was true that some were total disasters and even Luffy could see it, but he had faith on the twenty he had chosen for tomorrow.

After they were done and the thirty minutes had passed they went down to the restaurant. He opened the doors again and there were considerably less people, though that was to be expected since he was ready with the cooks. This time he started with the kitchen helpers since that would be easier.

He called the first person in the line and after an hour and half he was done with the interviews for the kitchen helpers. He had chosen them immediately since their work while important didn’t require that much knowledge so he picked the ones that looked more proactive. When he was ready he announced the names of the ones that would begin working and that they would have to be tomorrow at the restaurant in the morning.

He then began with the interviews for the waiters. He asked each one of them if they knew about wines, how to serve properly and the like. Some of them actually knew so he chose those for the job. He knew that he had to see if they were good in practice, but that would only be feasible when he opened the restaurant. When he was done with everyone he called the names of the ones that he was going to hire. He told them that they had to be at the restaurant in four more days at the morning.

It was about six in the afternoon when he was done with everyone and no one was outside the restaurant waiting for an interview. He was completely tired and all he wanted to do was to lie in his bed, but he still had to do some other things. He needed to come up with a name for the restaurant and fast because he couldn’t delay Franky and Robin anymore and he also had to ask a company to print the menus and he couldn’t do it if he didn’t have a name for it.

He went upstairs with Luffy again and he sat at the living room with a notebook and a pen to write down possible names for the restaurant. Luffy sat down next to him at the couch and he started thinking about names, but they were all trash. It was even worse because when Luffy read them he started laughing like a madman so he knew they were actual rubbish.

He still got mad at Luffy for not helping him so he began saying names too. They were as awful as his ideas, but this time he actually laughed with Luffy too. He was so exhausted thinking about names that his head was starting to hurt. He felt really sleepy and without noticing he lay more to the side and drifted off.

When he woke up he was lost about where he was and the hour. He saw the lights of his house on and he realized he was on the living room. The curtains were closed so he supposed it was night time already. He remembered that he had been with Luffy and he sat properly to look for him.  He noticed he had a blanket over him and then he saw that Luffy was in the couch in front of him sleeping too.

That was strange since he was never one to sleep if he wasn’t tired so he called for him. His voice was hoarse from sleep and Luffy opened his eyes. He asked him what he wanted and he asked back what hour it was and what they had been doing. Luffy said that it was probably eight o’ clock and that when he fell asleep he had wanted to prepare dinner, but that before he had actually tried Robin and Franky had arrived and said that they would buy something to eat. He also said that they were probably close to get back.

He stood up and let the blanket in the couch. He had been really comfy in the couch, but he knew he had to get up and see the state of the refrigerator. He opened it and he saw that everything was still in place. It was almost a miracle, but he was happy that Luffy had followed what he had warned him. In a way to show how grateful he was about that he started baking cookies so they could eat them later.

Luffy seeing that he was cooking stood up and wanted to accompany him in the kitchen. He didn’t let him aware of the disaster he could cause so he told him to stay behind the counter. Luffy accepted and marveled about the nice smell the dough had while he prepared the cookies. When he was done with the recipe he put the cookies on the oven and went to sit at the table to wait for them.

Before the cookies were baked Robin and Franky arrived at the house. They brought chicken with French fries for all of them. He apologized for falling asleep like that and not coming up with a name when they were supposed to leave yesterday. They said that it wasn’t a problem as they really weren’t in a hurry. They tried to help him come up with names, but as always they were extremely weird and just not right for any place.

When they were almost finished Luffy was stuffed and was going to the bathroom. He was in his fat form from having eaten too much and when he was standing up he knocked over his fork. He crouched down to pick it up with a lot of effort and out of nowhere he yelled “black leg” loudly. He asked him if he had a problem and Luffy got up and said that he had the name for his restaurant.

“Black leg! People call you that so it’s obvious that has to be the name of your restaurant!” He exclaimed as if he had found the One Piece again.

He was shocked too and his eyes widened a little, but then he nodded. He really liked the name and seriously, how hadn’t he thought about it before? Luffy was a genius when he wanted and as always he felt happy that he was able to have met this man. Really, what would be of him without him?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing a menu isn't easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! First of all Happy New Year! I wanted to post this yesterday, but celebrations and everything made it impossible, so I think I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. I don't promise anything though.  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this chapter!

3.

 

Sanji woke up that morning happy that he finally had a name for his restaurant and that the placard was ready. Luffy had explained that when he had bent to pick the fork he had seen his pants and he had remembered that nickname people sometimes used for him. In his bounties the Marines referred to him as that so most people knew him like that. It had been brilliant from Luffy to associate the name just by seeing his legs and he was really glad for his input.

Franky had started making the placard with the name of the restaurant at night and he finished without much effort. It looked great in the front and he felt really grateful for everyone’s help. Robin and Franky had departed late at night since they said they wanted to say goodbye to them properly and that they would be too busy tomorrow. He had tried to pay them for the materials and all their hard work, but they declined the offer and said that it was a gift to him. He didn’t like it too much that they were doing that, but they insisted on it and he couldn’t make them accept the money.

It was sad that they had to leave, but he knew they had to go to begin their new life. He would be doing the same, but it was somehow comforting that he wouldn’t be that alone as Luffy accompanied him now. It would be for a short time if his predictions were right, but he still liked having him close like in the past years.

He got ready and went to prepare breakfast. Luffy wasn’t up, but he still inspected every little nook of the refrigerator afraid that Luffy had gotten up at night and ate everything. He saw that everything was in order and took out yogurt with some fruits. He would prepare salad fruit with yogurt in top. It wouldn’t be the fanciest breakfast ever, but he knew that Luffy would like it.

They had eaten all the cookies (mostly Luffy) so they didn’t have any left for the morning. He wished he had made more for later, but since he would taste a lot of dishes in the next phase of the interview he guessed it was fine like that too. Since it was still early he wasn’t worried about the supplies he had asked the food providers getting late. They were supposed to arrive one hour before the interviews so they would be ready for the cooks to use.

He went to wake Luffy up and knocked on his door, but he didn’t respond so he entered the room. Luffy was sleeping deeply and the whole room was a mess. His clothes were scattered all over the place and the sheets and blankets of the bed were in disarray. It was almost amazing how he had managed to clutter everything so soon, but he thought that it was to be expected in reality. It was more astonishing that he had been able to keep the rest of the house tidy though.

He got closer to him and shook his arm so he would wake. He wasn’t reacting and he called his name many times until Luffy opened his eyes. He smiled at him and asked what they were going to eat. He rolled his eyes and told him that he had to clean the room before he had any food. Luffy made a poor attempt at puppy eyes, but he insisted in that he had to clean the place. At the end he gave up and started arranging the room.

When he was ready he asked him again what they were having for breakfast, but he told him that he could see it for himself. They got to the dining room and when Luffy saw the bowl with fruit he grinned widely at him. He sat down and thanked him for the food. They started eating while talking about what they were going to do for the day. He explained Luffy that as he had told him already yesterday, that day he would be testing the cooks with dishes they had to prepare at random.

Luffy smiled again and said that he would love to taste the plates, but he told him that he always found everything good so it wouldn’t serve any purpose for him. Luffy said that it wasn’t true and that he could discern good food from the bad one. He really didn’t believe him, but he thought that he wouldn’t be able to eat everything on his own so the leftovers would be for Luffy.

After Luffy went to change they went down the stairs to the restaurant. They waited there for less than twenty minutes until the food providers came with things. He checked that everything was in good state and gave the men the money for their service. With Luffy’s help he brought the ingredients inside the kitchen. He put some things in the refrigerators and others in the pantry, but he left some food for the cooks to use later according to what they would make.

They waited another hour and they saw how the twenty cooks and the kitchen helpers arrived at the restaurant. They entered the kitchen and started checking it out. Sanji put the cooks in a line and explained them what they would be doing. He said that they would cook whatever he asked of them and that only ten out of the twenty that were present would be hired.

He guided each cook towards a stove and explained them what they would be cooking. When he was done with the instructions he said that they only had one hour and half to cook so they had to be fast. With that he told them to start and they started picking the ingredients that he had arranged beforehand. The food was mixed as to no give any hint of a recipe, meaning that if they didn’t know the way to prepare the dish they were screwed.

There was a sensation of high tension in the room, but he didn’t care about that as kitchens in restaurants were like that and if they weren’t prepared to withstand it then they just weren’t fit for the job. Luffy was looking intently at every cook and what they were making. He had those eyes that indicated he was really interested in what he was observing.

He was also paying attention to every detail such as if they were being clean with the ingredients or if they were wasting food. One of the cooks asked him if he preferred the pasta he was making with a special dressing and while he was answering suddenly Luffy shouted that someone was a cheater. He turned around rapidly and saw that Luffy was pointing at a man with a scowl in his face.

He went to that side of the kitchen and asked what was going on and Luffy told him that he had seen the man add a ton of pepper to the pan on the stove of the cook next to him. The man named Victor denied all the accusations and said that Luffy was lying. He rolled his eyes because there really wasn’t any reason for Luffy to lie about this. Also he was his captain and he trusted him with his life.

Before he kicked him out he made him eat the whole pan he had ruined since he wasn’t going to waste food on something so stupid. When the guy was over and he had almost thrown up, he kicked him out and told him to never come back. Then he gave more time to cook to the other man and the test continued normally.

When the clock marked that the one hour and half were over he made everyone stop with their preparations except for the cook that had his pan ruined. He asked each cook how they had prepared the dishes he had asked them to make. He tasted the plates and some were really good, some were so-so and some were disastrous. He really didn’t want to waste food so to the cooks that had failed he asked them to take their dishes with them and eat them. At first he had thought that Luffy could eat them, but there was something that didn’t settle well in him making Luffy eat something not good.

He had chosen the best ten cooks and while he had tasted some really awful things, most of them were pretty good. In fact he had deemed capable 13 cooks, but had decided ten from the best ones and he also took their personalities in consideration. He had noticed how two cooks were tied in how he had graded their skills, but one was silent and really stern while the other was outspoken and got along well with Luffy. The captain was good at sensing the good characteristics of people and if he found the other cook to be interesting then it had to be for something.

After he informed the cooks which the chosen ones were he told them that they had to begin working in the next three days. He would be opening the restaurant in a week more, but first he needed to prepare the menus and after that he would tell the cooks what they would be serving. With that everyone left except for the kitchen helpers that had to clean the kitchen.

As he had asked the cooks that had failed to take their plates with them he put the food from the good dishes in bowls to eat them completely with Luffy for lunch. When the kitchen helpers were done with their work he closed the restaurant and went upstairs to eat with Luffy. He would be making the menu and for that he needed concentration.

When they were upstairs he reheated the food and he asked Luffy which plates he wanted for himself. Of course he answered that he wanted everything, but he still told him to choose so they could eat the rest at dinner. Luffy picked the pork dumplings, the yakisoba chicken and the orange pork. Instead, he just chose one dish like a normal human being and ate a risotto.

He sent Luffy to wash the dishes while he sat at the table with a notebook to write the plates that would be at the menu. Luckily, Luffy didn’t break anything and when he was done he sat next to him. He put his chair really close to his to look what he was doing. It was kind of annoying to have him trying to read over his shoulder everything he was writing so he stopped working and told him that he needed to prepare the menu so he couldn’t play with him or have him bothering him.

Luffy looked really interested and said he could help him coming up with the plates. He wasn’t too sure of that, but he let him be anyway. He wrote “appetizers” and underlined it to begin thinking what would be good for the restaurant. He had a few ideas and while he was pondering if the ingredients to prepare them would be too expensive, Luffy said that he could make those beef kebabs he liked so much. He thought about them, but he preferred some other things better.

Luffy kept telling plates that only contained meat and he only described them by how much they had of it on the recipes. He didn’t put any of the options Luffy had recommended, but he didn’t say anything about how he hadn’t written them in the list and remained looking at him while he worked. He read over his shoulder again that he was in the main dish part and exclaimed that he could have meat pie or barbecue. He didn’t like the meat pie, but the barbecue was alright. He put it on the list and Luffy smiled at him.

He continued thinking of the main dishes and Luffy kept naming various plates with only meat still. He didn’t listen to him and when he was finished he moved at the desserts and when Luffy saw it he said that he should totally prepare something with meat. He looked at him disgusted because that sounded awful and he had to clarify something to him.

“This restaurant isn’t for you, Luffy. I get that you try to help me, but this place isn’t made for you. I know that you really like my food, but this time I’m not cooking for you,” he said with exasperation.

It was like something had erupted inside him and when finally let it out he felt relieved, but it only lasted seconds. When he saw Luffy’s face he knew he had hurt him, but he didn’t know what to tell him or how to fix it. A simple sorry could suffice, but he couldn’t say it as Luffy stood up and went to the room he was staying at.

That was probably the second time Luffy had gotten really mad at him. The first time had been when he hadn’t known what to do back in Whole Cake Island. That one time they had been in a mortal situation; every misstep could lead them to their deaths and his desperation was understandable, but this time it was so mundane. It was disconcerting how if he thought it carefully it was actually the first time Luffy had gotten angry at him in normal conditions.

He didn’t like the feeling it left in him. He was his friend, his captain, and he knew he had wanted to help, but sometimes he was too much to handle and he couldn’t keep quiet about it. Usually, if he so much as disrespected Luffy in some way, Zoro would be the first one to make it clear that he had to apologize to the captain, but now that he wasn’t there it was easier to just forget about the hierarchy that existed in their crew.

It wasn’t like he was extremely stressed out. The restaurant was going to open the next week and while he still had to come up with every dish for the menu it wasn’t something difficult. He had just gotten annoyed that Luffy thought the restaurant was going to be for him when it was going to be something entirely new. It wasn’t that he disliked him or anything like that, but this project was going to be created by him in its totality. In a way it was how he would become completely independent and Luffy had to understand that somehow.

He stayed at the table and continued working because he thought that even if he had expressed it in the wrong way it was still true. When he was done and had everything from the menu ready it was already late. He went to close the curtains and saw that the clock read that it was eight. Luffy hadn’t gotten out of the room not even once and with each passing second he felt guiltier.

He knew that what he had said was the truth, but there was something so awful in telling Luffy that he wasn’t going to cook for him anymore. It was like forgetting everything Luffy had done for him and it pained him to no ends. He went to the kitchen to reheat the leftovers from the morning and when they were good enough to eat them he called Luffy to the dining room.

Surprisingly, Luffy came out almost after he had first called for him. He didn’t say anything and sat at the table with an unreadable face. He couldn’t decipher what was exactly going on in his mind as he really wasn’t expecting for him to get out that soon and definitely not before he had apologized. He ate quietly and that made him feel worse because a silent Luffy was the strangest sight in the world. It was like he had defied nature by upsetting him, but he still didn’t know if to say sorry and mend ways or keep firm in what he believed.

At the end of dinner neither had said anything and he missed those times when they would speak with the crew so much. He hadn’t felt it that strongly before when he had first departed from the Baratie and when he had arrived at the island since he hadn’t been really alone for that long. He had called Franky the same day he had gotten to the town so he hadn’t been on his own for too long, but who could have thought he would miss the crew when he was next to the person that represented them the most?

Luffy washed both dishes and after that he went to the spare room in a hurry. He stayed behind for some time, but then he got bored and went to his room to lie on his bed and read some book. He changed into his pajamas since he really didn’t want to leave to any other place. The room still didn’t have too many things and the space that wasn’t occupied by anything in the same way as his big bed almost asphyxiated him.

Something was missing and he hadn’t been able to notice it before, but now that Luffy was there angry at him it was overwhelming. He wished some pretty lady could fill the void with her beauty, but even that seemed out of reach.

He preferred to distract his mind from the many thoughts he had and picked a book to read while waiting for the night. In reality, all he wanted to do was sleep and forget for some time about this disturbing feeling of an angry Luffy and how terrible that was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A walk in the river helps people think things better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I did post today like I said yesterday lol. I don't know when I'm going to post the next chapter, but it'll probably be by the end of this week or the beginning of the next one!  
> I know it seems like I don't have a schedule, but that's mostly because I really don't know how many chapters this fic will have. For now all I can say is that I'll post one to two chapters a week, not more than that unless I have more chapters ready.  
> And as always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this chapter!

4.

 

He woke up that day feeling like trash. He had a terrible headache that he could feel even before waking up. The pain was behind his eyes so when he saw the light coming through the curtains his head felt worse. He wished he could stay in his bed and sleep the pain away, but he had to receive the wines, beers and other types of alcohol that morning. After that he had to print the menus and ask for posters to promote the opening of the restaurant.

Sanji got up and went to shower. As he made his way to the bathroom he noticed that the door of the room where Luffy was staying was open. He peeped inside and noticed that he wasn’t inside. The bed was made and he feared that Luffy had left the house without saying goodbye. He went inside the quarter and saw that Luffy’s suitcases were still on the floor so it was improbable he would have gone without them.

For some strange reason his mind focused on how Luffy hadn’t arranged any of his clothes in the closet or the drawers. If the suitcases were still out in the floor when they had space enough to be in the closet it meant that the clothes were still inside them. That made him uneasy; it was like Luffy knew he wouldn’t be there for long even if he had said otherwise. It was stupid to feel bad about it when he knew it was going to be like that, but seeing it made it realer.

With a sigh he shrugged and went to shower since for much that he wanted to look for him he still had many things to do. When he was ready he had breakfast and waited for the people from the liquor store at the restaurant. They didn’t take too long and he made them come inside to arrange the alcohol. After they were done he paid them as agreed and he made his way to the town. He couldn’t deny he had hopes in finding Luffy at some point in his path, but when he didn’t want to be found he disappeared from earth.

He went to the marketing place and asked them to make posters and the menus. They were supposed to be ready in three more days and the posters would be published throughout the world as he had requested before. The day of the opening of the restaurant he would throw a party at night as an inauguration. He would invite the authorities from across the island even if he couldn’t care less about them, but that way people would see that he was serious about this.

He had thought about inviting some Marines (only the good ones), but they would probably take it as an offense. The deal with the Marines was that after they had found the One Piece they had kicked out their corrupt officers and for that reason they thanked them for changing the system. They really weren’t trying to do that at all and it only occurred by casualty, but now they were somehow respected by some of them and they weren’t chasing them as much as before.

Now that all of that was settled he was on the way to the restaurant. He passed by a drugstore for painkillers since his headache had gotten worse than when he first woke up. When he received them he took a pill at the pharmacy hoping it would relieve the pain soon. He needed to go to his house to eat, but he wanted to look for Luffy at town even if there were more chances he was actually at the forest that surrounded the town and that blocked it from the other side of the island.

The island was rather big and had four more big cities each located in one side of it. It also had many small towns in the middle that were in the forests and a river crossed the island from the south to the north. The city he was living at was called South Lovebird and every other big town was named like that depending if they were at the east, the west or the north.

The river was at the other extreme of the city so he had never gone there since his arrival. From what he had heard it was extremely beautiful. He wished he had put the restaurant closer to it, but it was more expensive so he took what he could.

There was something inside him that wanted to go to his house and see if Luffy was there; angry, but there. And there was another part that desired to just forget about what had happened and rest. He didn’t know if Luffy would be at his house so he decided it would be good to finally visit the river. He hoped some beautiful women were swimming there so he could see something good for the time being.

The town was big and it took him thirty minutes to arrive to the houses near the river. It was called the Lovebird River as everything else in the island. At the trees that were close to the river lovebirds were atop of them and there were so many that people had called the island like that since they were all over the river from north to south. He had also heard that the birds together were a sight to behold so he hoped they met his expectations.

When finally saw the riverbank he saw that the lovebirds were surrounding the whole place and it was so beautiful. It was really something magical and he forgot all about his problems. He sat down at a bench close to the water and it was so hot that day he wished he could have brought his swimsuit as he saw many people swim through the river.

The river was so big that people and small ships could navigate through it, though the boats were on the other side. A big bridge rose in the middle of it and it also had lovebirds resting there. The colors of the sun, the trees, the reflection of the sky on the river and the lovebirds painted a canvas that was so beautiful he wished he could share the view with someone else, but now he really had no one.

He knew it really wasn’t like that as Luffy was with him, but he was angry and it made him feel miserable. He should have apologized if he was going to feel like this. The calmness he had acquired before was gone, but at least the headache had passed already and he kept looking at everything trying to put the self-pity thoughts away.

The sound of the small waves that formed in the river, the people talking, the wind passing through the trees and the singing of the birds were soothing. After a while he was really relaxed, but he preferred to stand up to see the rest of the river. He walked next to the river with a smile and watched every detail he could store in his memory. It was a marvelous place and he understood why people liked it that much. He decided it was his new favorite place in the city. He still needed to see the rest of the island, but since he was living there this would become where he would chill from there on.

He kept walking serenely as if he had forgotten about his fight with Luffy. He really hadn’t, but his state of mind was so tranquil that he was just too calm to think about it deeply. When he was past the bridge he noticed a seated man with a red vest and a hat and he knew it just had to be his luck to find Luffy there. Well, he had been kind of stupid for not thinking it sooner as this was the best place to be in this city so it was obvious he would come too.

He sighed and went his way because knowing Luffy he had probably already felt his presence there. When he was close enough he noticed that Luffy was talking with a lovebird. He was yelling more than anything and it seemed the bird didn’t want to be with him, but Luffy kept it there by offering it food. He really didn’t know what he was trying so he asked him.

“What are you doing with the bird? Just let it go if it wants to leave,” he said as if the fight from yesterday hadn’t happened.

Luffy didn’t look at him, but still said, “I’m trying to make it speak, but it just won’t do it. It’s only staying for the food.” He continued yelling things at the bird to make it to talk, but then he stopped and added, “The stupid parrot doesn’t know that I won’t give it any food anyways though”

He laughed in his usual way, but suddenly the lovebird flew away from them. Luffy stood up to follow it, but it crossed the river and in his efforts to catch it he fell in the water. As always he had to pull him from it and when Luffy was out and breathing he almost scolded him for being so imprudent. He didn’t as he didn’t want to cause more trouble between them so he explained him about the birds instead.

“Those aren’t like the ‘usual’ parrots; those are lovebirds so they normally don’t speak for much food that you give them,” he said and Luffy finally looked at him.

He had a defeated face, but then he sat down not caring about dirtying his wet clothes with soil. He didn’t know what to do as he didn’t want to spoil his clothes, but something told him that Luffy wanted to talk and so he sat down with him.

“What did you do today?” Luffy asked without looking at him, instead he stared at the river.

He didn’t want to look at him either so he only answered, “I had to receive the alcohol for the restaurant and requested some posters and the menu.”

Luffy nodded while he kept staring at the river. Then he said, “You look kinda tired.”

It wasn’t a question and he knew his captain was really perceptive about his moods. Well, not only his as he noticed what was going on with the whole crew. He nodded too without saying anything.

Some time passed and none said anything. There was a sensation in the air of words left unspoken, but he didn’t know what to tell the captain anyway. It seemed Luffy grew tired of it because he stopped looking at the river and turned to his side to speak up.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have meddled that much with your business cause you must want to start a new life without me interfering, right?” He said and he could see pain in his eyes.

He hated provoking that in him and he despised the idea of Luffy thinking that he didn’t want to have anything to do with him. It was different than that; all he really wanted was to start again something new, but he wasn’t sure if that meant that Luffy couldn’t be included in it. Yesterday he had gotten bothered that Luffy thought he would be cooking only for him like when they were traveling together because now it wasn’t going to be like that, but that didn’t have to mean that he couldn’t cook anything for him, right?

How could he deny him a part in his life when he had offered him a whole new world to see after he appeared in the Baratie? He had always been the one to reach out to him so to push him away was dreadful. He did think that he had to cook for more people than Luffy, but did it have to be with him far from him? He could do both things without neglecting the other because he was capable of that, so what was he so insecure about anyway? All he had to do was to give the restaurant and Luffy time of his life. He couldn’t give Luffy all his time now, but he could still give him some.

He didn’t know how to word it, but he still tried. “I’m the one that should be sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way. I only wanted to say that I’m not going to be able to just cook for you, but you will always be my friend and my hands are always ready to cook for you.”

He stated and he saw how Luffy’s eyes shone in a special way. He didn’t know what to read in them, but he guessed that reaction was better than the hurt.

“I think it’s really cool how you’re trying to do something new on your own. I think I’m right in waiting for you to travel again. You’re a great companion,” he said with a smile, the type that reached his eyes and he felt out of breath.

He seriously didn’t know what to say. He felt incredibly guilty again since he just didn’t want to travel again, but Luffy was there with him believing he would go with him. He really thought he would get tired of waiting so for that reason he opted to just smile and not tell him that he didn’t see himself going away from the town. It was terrible that he was hiding it, but for him it was worse that Luffy would leave him immediately after learning the truth.

After that they stood up since Luffy said he hadn’t eaten too well in the hours he had been alone. They went to his house so he could prepare them something and change their clothes for new ones. When they arrived they took turns to use the bathroom and shower, then Luffy went to the room he was using. He let him be and started cooking. When he was done he called Luffy, but he wasn’t responding and didn’t come in some time. He went to see what was taking him so long and noticed that Luffy was unpacking his clothes and other things he had in the suitcases and was arranging them in the closet and drawers.

Something weird happened inside him: his heart skipped a beat as if this was thrilling, as if this was great. He smiled for some reason and then he called Luffy again. He responded that he would be going in a minute. He left him alone and went back to the dining room. It was a fluttering feeling what he had and it was like he couldn’t believe that Luffy was really staying with him in his house. It was like it was the first time he had actually realized he would be there with him. Before it hadn’t been that clear and it was almost a mirage, but now that he was putting his things in the room and it was as if he was marking it, for weird that it sounded.

He tried to shake off the feeling of astonishment and waited for Luffy trying to focus on something else. Luffy appeared shouting loudly that he was hungry. When he sat down he ate like the beast he was and after he was done eating he thanked him with a smile. He felt relieved that things were back to normal between them and strange as it was he told Luffy that he would show him the menu.

He brought the paper with the dishes listed and named them to Luffy. Sometimes he asked what those plates were since he didn’t recognize all of them, but at the end he said he wanted to try each one of them. When he finished saying that he stated lowly that only if he had time of course. He felt kind of bad for provoking that in his captain so he said that he would taste all of them at some point and he would be the one that would cook for him.

Luffy smiled widely and thanked him again. Then he asked when he was going to open the restaurant. He told him that he would begin practicing the dishes with the new cooks in three more days and in a week he would open the restaurant. He would throw a party for the inauguration and he would invite the island’s authorities for marketing purposes. Then he said that he would also invite every pretty lady he saw at the city to eat for free. Luffy laughed and told him that his restaurant would go broke if he did that.

He thought about it and then he said, “Usually the shitty old man was the one that kept me at bay with that. Then it was Nami, but now I don’t think there’s anyone that can do it.”    

“I can do that, you know? No lady is gonna get past me!” He exclaimed and he really didn’t want the “service” Luffy was offering to provide, but for now he didn’t care.

And so, he laughed along with Luffy for some time. After that he was going to wash the dishes, but Luffy said he would do it instead. It was strange how he was willing to clean and help keep the house tidy. Back in the day, especially when they first started their voyage, he wasn’t too prone to do anything that required effort in maintaining the order, but after the years he kind of grew up and didn’t protest that much. Now it seemed he didn’t mind it as much as before, which was weird considering he was the Pirate King. Still, it was good for him so he didn’t say anything.

He stayed on the living room looking at him directly since there were chances he could try to open the fridge. He kept staring at him when Luffy shouted if he wanted something since he was looking at him so much, but he only responded that he didn’t trust him with being alone in the kitchen yet. Luffy laughed and said he would with time. He didn’t want to tell him that he seriously didn’t imagine him being with him for too long so he just kept quiet.

Since it was still just the afternoon he thought it would be fun to walk in the beach of the island that was close to his house. Luffy liked the idea and said it would be cool if they caught a big fish. He really didn’t think they would be able to do that since the shore was away from the deep sea where fish swam, but he only nodded.

As they made their way to the coast the sun wasn’t so high and it casted an orange light on everything. He felt happy for some reason and he was sure everything would work for him. It was like luck was on his side and while he couldn’t define what exactly that meant just seeing Luffy made him know he was right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The inauguration of the restaurant makes Sanji nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here it's another chapter!  
> Before you guys go into reading the chapter I have something important to say or actually to ask.  
> Here's the thing: I was making some projections about how long this fic would really be and if you read the tags and what I wrote before you would know that I said it was going to be long. I didn't know how long it would be, but now I have an estimate and while I don't have the number of chapters figured out yet, the lenght of this fic will be over 150+k words.  
> What I'm trying to say is if you guys really want to read something that long. I know I should be the one that handles this as I'm the author, but you are the readers and you're also part of this.  
> As it's going to be lengthy it also means that it's really time consuming and I have probably about 5-6 other fics I'm writing at the moment with other ideas I have but I still don't write.  
> Some of those fics and ideas are Sanlu and others aren't, but some of them (especially the Sanlu ones) are already advanced and I'm postponing their continuation as this fic is currently the one that is being posted.  
> To make things short: Do you guys prefer that I keep posting chapters for this fic even if it's really long or do you prefer if I post something new entirely but shorter?  
> I can't assure that the other fics will be 1.000 words because they really aren't but I don't think they will be as long as this one.  
> Please do answer if you read this since otherwise I will be lost on what to do.  
> Sorry for making this too long and as always thanks for reading!

5.

 

The day for the opening of the restaurant had come and while at first he had felt incredibly lucky for how things were going, now all of that had ended. However, it had been his fault so he couldn’t blame anyone but his own forgetfulness. It was incredible how it had slipped from his mind that soon when he had thought about it continuously ever since the idea of opening his own restaurant appeared.

Sanji had wanted to do things differently to the Baratie and for that reason alone he had thought about hiring a cashier. He had only remembered it last night and it was too close to the inauguration that he couldn’t send posters asking for capable people anymore. He would have to make do with what he had and that left only one possible option: Luffy.

He had been desperate upon realizing that he didn’t have a cashier and Luffy had said he could do it while he looked for someone else. He hadn’t wanted to be rude, but he actually asked Luffy if he knew how to properly add and subtract. Of course he had gotten offended at his question, but he told him to prove it somehow. He did and it was just as he had imagined; he sucked at it and he knew he would lose so much money by giving him the job, but he had had a pout and he really couldn’t fight against that. Also it would only be for two days top since he wouldn’t be charging the day of the opening.

One good thing that Luffy had brought to him and he counted it as his luck was that as always he called everyone’s attention. At first he had found it weird that the press from the town hadn’t looked for Luffy after his arrival, but they actually did when they had fought last week. Luffy was such a great captain that even if they had been mad at each other he still he said that he was with him and that he would open a restaurant soon. It was like he still looked over him like when they were navigating and searching for the One Piece. All of that was over, but he really cared about him, though he probably did it unconsciously.

That way tons of press appeared, eager to see what he would do. Of course some people were interested in what he would do with his dishes, especially if he would cook with things from the All Blue. For the opening night he wouldn’t have anything from there because he hadn’t had a form of maintaining the species from going rancid and so he needed a ship that had a refrigerator. Thankfully, Franky had made one for him, but the trip took its time and he wanted to open the restaurant soon.

He knew it would have been better to start after going to the All Blue, but for one he was impatient and also he needed to take care of the restaurant and so he preferred to wait for some time and when he trusted the cooks enough he would leave them to pick new things.

Now it was only two hours away from the opening of the restaurant and he was kind of nervous. He had dressed nicely with a black suit that he had bought specially for the occasion. He had bought one for Luffy as well and he looked good with it even if at first he hadn’t liked that it hid his legs, but he had really liked the red color it had so he didn’t care about it now.

He had practiced with the cooks, the kitchen helpers and the waiters what they would serve that night. He had tasted what each one of the cooks would prepare later and he had rectified every detail he thought could be enhanced. He had watched over how the waiters would serve the plates and the beverage and exercised the correct ways with them even if most had been right from the start. It was just that everything had to be perfect as he had his pride as a cook in the line. It would be the first time he possessed his own restaurant and while he had cooked for the Straw hats, this was a different type of challenge.

He was currently in the restaurant waiting for the hour of the inauguration to come. He was feeling fidgety, which was weird because he was seriously a good cook and he was usually confident about his skills so it didn’t make sense. Perhaps he felt this was his real first project completely alone and it was somehow making him nervous. He wanted to pace around, but he knew he couldn’t do it in front of the cooks as he had to transmit calmness.

He had noticed that some of them were even more anxious than him so he couldn’t show them that he was in a similar state. He opted to go out outside to smoke while waiting since he didn’t have to do anything really. The arrangements of the seats and the distribution of the people attending were already decided. He had sent letters days ago to the big cities’ mayors of the island and they had all confirmed their assistance. He had invited the richest families from the island as well, but he also invited poor people from shelters and some kids of an orphanage because he wasn’t too fond of wealthy people anyway.

He didn’t care what they said of his decision as he only wanted them for the press and if they disliked the idea of sharing food with people not “equal” to them he couldn’t care less. He knew the food would be good and that alone would bring people to his restaurant. And yet, for some reason he felt uneasy. He never got restless when cooking as he trusted his dexterity and more than anything he always got a thrill if the situation was challenging.

Maybe the whole thing with this was that he was trying totally new things for him. For example the Baratie did have advertising, but they were never on this scale. They had never invited anyone “important” for recognition, but that was mostly because Zeff was still a pirate at the end of the day. He was one too, but after finding the One Piece and the All Blue it was like people didn’t care about it and they were interested in them for either the buzz of the moment or for actual understanding of their achievements.

All things considered, this whole idea was something new and distinct from everything he had ever tried. He was outside the restaurant close to the stairs that led to his house in the back. He smoked, aspiring deeply from the cigarette he was holding. The marvelous thing with cigarettes was that they relaxed him rapidly. In a few more puffs he was supposed to feel better, but it wasn’t happening. And it was strange since this wasn’t a life or death threat; it was only the opening of his restaurant, something he had prepared and created with care and passion so it couldn’t go wrong.

At least that was what he hoped so in an effort to put any doubts behind he continued to smoke. Some minutes passed and the door of the back opened. It was Luffy that had come and he asked him immediately if they needed him in the kitchen, but he shook his head.

“No, I wanted to come to see you. You look kinda nervous. Why?” He inquired reading him so thoroughly he was almost afraid of what else he would see; not that he had anything to hide, but it was uncomfortable.

“I don’t know. Guess I’m a little bit nervous, but nothing a good smoke can’t help,” he said trying to disguise his restlessness.

“From what I see you’ve been smoking for some time, but it doesn’t help, right? If there’s something bothering you can tell me,” Luffy said with a reassuring smile.

It was obvious he wouldn’t go without him telling him his problems and he opted to just open up. “I feel like it’s the first time I’m doing something on my own and everything it’s too new. I think that’s all, really.”

“But you aren’t alone. I’m here with you,” he said giving him some peace of mind.

“You aren’t…” Going to stay. He thought, but he couldn’t finish.    

“I’m not important?” Luffy asked and in his whole demeanor he could see his pain.

He had gotten it all wrong, so he corrected. “Of course you’re important. It’s just that this is the first time I’m doing something completely on my own by myself. I worked at the Baratie for Zeff and when I was traveling with you I cooked for you and the crew. Now this is for me and it’s different.”

“That isn’t a bad thing. It’s different, but if you think about it you found the All Blue for you. Also you aren’t alone if that’s what you’re worried about. You have me even if this isn’t for me.” Luffy recuperated from the hurt his words had provoked and explained to him how things were.

He didn’t know if he would have him by his side forever and that made things difficult or more troubling in his mind. It was like he was taking baby steps and needed someone to watch over him in case he failed. The beautiful thing about being a part of a crew was that he always had someone having his back at any time, but he knew Luffy would get bored of waiting and would leave soon so he couldn’t put his entire trust in his figure alone.

He wasn’t too sure of what to say, but luckily before he could say anything someone opened the door and called him. It was one of the waiters that wanted to know which glass they would use for a type of liquor. He went back inside the restaurant fast without really looking at Luffy that told him that he should keep in mind what they had spoken.

The thing the waiter asked wasn’t important or difficult so he was back to the nervousness he was feeling before, not being able to put his mind away from bothersome thoughts. Still, he went back to what Luffy had said: he had found the All Blue for himself even if he had cooked for them dishes with it so they could taste it. However, it was true that it had been his dream and he had accomplished it, but he had done it with the crew’s help so it remained as something he hadn’t done alone even when it had been something he desired.

He liked to think that he would be accompanied by Luffy and that he would have his back this time too, but it was troublesome as well since he knew he would leave soon. There was also the fact that feeling that vulnerable for being alone meant that he was really far away from his independence. He was 24 and he still needed someone by his side so he wouldn’t feel distressed. In a way that made him feel embarrassed for the weakness all of that implied, but he just didn’t know how to change his emotions.

When it was half an hour for the beginning of the party he saw as the guests and the press arrived at the restaurant. He had to receive them and he shook the men’s hands and kissed the ladies’ hands as well. The waiters accommodated everyone on their respective seats and the press in one side of the room and when the time for the restaurant to officially open he was supposed to give a speech. He sucked at those as he was just good at cooking and hadn’t practiced anything really. For that reason he felt nervous and couldn’t find the right words instantly.

He noticed how people were giving him weird looks while he stayed quiet for some time. He looked somewhere and saw Luffy smiling at him. It was strange, but suddenly it was like he knew exactly what he wanted to say.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have invited you to the inauguration of my restaurant “Black Leg” so you could taste the exquisite dishes the cooks and me have prepared along with the excellent service the waiters and the staff will provide for you.

After finding the All Blue I thought I was done with everything I wanted to do, but then this idea came to me and I thought it would be fun and interesting to try something new, so here it is what I wanted to do. I hope you enjoy everything we have prepared for you tonight.”

He said and opened a bottle of champagne to toast while the journalists took pictures of him and the place. The guests clapped along with the cooks and the waiters. After that he told them to serve the appetizers and the drinks so the inauguration could really start. Since he had hired musicians to play that night they began playing soft songs that went well with the calm atmosphere of the restaurant.

He watched over every detail that might go wrong and so he examined everything in the kitchen before it was served. When the rounds of appetizers were over the main dishes were served. From the faces everyone had made when eating the first dishes he knew everything was good. They continued that way and he had the impression that the rich people at this point didn’t even care about the poor children and the homeless.

He walked around every table to see if everything was fine. When he got to the table Luffy was seated he noticed that he was surrounded by the press while he ate. He felt bad for him since he hated when people didn’t let him eat calmly as the journalists asked him many things. He was the new Pirate King at the end of the day, but it was uncomfortable. He told the waiters to serve something for the reporters to distract them and with that they left him alone as it looked they had really liked what they tasted.

The night went on like that and all his plans were going correctly. He was really glad for that as in his mind some things had become disasters even when he knew that was born from his nervousness. The main dishes had been spectacular as the guests had told him and congratulated the cooks and him for them. He had explained to the attendants that all of those were prepared only by the cooks he had hired and that he had only made the dessert.

Everyone had been impressed and they were eagerly waiting for the last part of the dinner to come. After a short time the waiters served the desserts and he saw how everyone was expectant of it. The people agreed on waiting until everyone was served the last dish so they could taste it together. It was amazing that they had accorded something like that and he felt glad since he knew he wouldn’t disappoint with what he had prepared.

It was a typical crème brûlée, but he was sure it would be the best one they would ever taste. When everyone was ready they took a spoonful of the dessert and when the soft texture of the pastry reached their tongues they all made pleased sounds. That was the reaction he was looking for and he had achieved it so he determined that the opening of the restaurant was a success.

More time passed and the guests started to leave the place since it was rather late. He dismissed everyone and they congratulated him for the good service and the food. The pressmen had said that they would divulge the news of his restaurant everywhere since it was really good. They had also tried to speak with Luffy for anything interesting he had to say and all he did was tell them that the restaurant was really cool.

When even the band was out he closed the front door of the restaurant and went to the kitchen. After all the stress he finally felt hungry. He hadn’t eaten in a long time and he was starving. The kitchen helpers were already washing the dishes while the cooks waited for him to eat. They were going to have a special family meal as a celebration for the successful night with some of the wines to toast.  

He made the kitchen helpers stop cleaning so everyone could eat together. He made a toast and after that everyone started eating. Luffy that was at his side had a strange look and he asked him if something was wrong. Luffy said that he had been storing food for him the whole night since he didn’t know if he was going to eat later and that he would be too tired to prepare something.

He showed him a box that apparently had been arranged by one of the waiters with food Luffy was supposed to eat before. Luffy said that the only thing he hadn’t been able to keep was the dessert because it had been too good.

He felt something strange inside him. It was like a void had been filled with an emotion he couldn’t place or identify, but he could recognize it was a good sentiment. The fact that Luffy had deliberately stored food for him opting to not eat everything by himself was probably one of the sweetest things he had ever done for him and that was saying a lot considering the captain had risked his life many times just for him.

He was at a loss for words so he only smiled at him. He ruffled his hair and when he finally knew how to respond he told him to eat everything since he didn’t like it when food was wasted. Luffy nodded and started eating. He would have preferred if the food was reheated, but knowing Luffy he probably didn’t care about it anyway.

Sanji closed the restaurant once the whole staff was out. It was really late, but he was used to such hours and he didn’t have trouble waking up early either. Luffy instead looked tired and sleepy so they went upstairs to his house. He had thought Luffy would head to sleep immediately upon arriving, but he didn’t and stood awkwardly in his room as if waiting for something while he put his pajamas on.

When he was fully dressed he asked him if he needed something. He shook his head and started speaking.

“I just wanted to know if you don’t feel nervous anymore,” he said and he was baffled he actually remembered any of that.

He nodded and said, “No, I feel really good now. I guess I was that way because it was my first time doing something like that alone.”

He saw something flicker through Luffy’s eyes, but he couldn’t decipher too well what it was. Then it hit him what they had talked about before and he corrected what he had said.

“No, actually I wasn’t alone. I had you, but it’s just different to everything I have ever done,” he said and then added, “I suppose I’m still not that independent if I need your support.”

Luffy looked puzzled about what he was saying so he explained to him that he felt he wasn’t self-sufficient enough for his age seeing how he needed a lot of people’s support to do the things he wanted.

His captain shook his head and said, “I don’t think that’s what independent means. You can be independent and still receive people’s support, you know? You planned everything for this restaurant alone and you only asked help from people when you didn’t know how to do something. You can’t know how to do everything so it isn’t bad that you asked for help. Also you don’t have to be alone to be independent. You’ll always have me and the crew for everything you need.”

He smiled at that. Luffy sometimes really knew exactly what to say to make people feel better and it wasn’t only empty but comforting words as sometimes they hurt a lot too, but they were real and at the end that was better. His words were like salve to emotional wounds and for the first time since his arrival he didn’t care if he was going to leave soon; he only knew that Luffy had his back no matter what and that meant that if he left he would still care about him.

When they were done talking he thanked him for the words and said he was really tired and Luffy said the same so he went to his room to sleep.

Something about what he had last thought ringed a bell in his head. That was the first time he had referred to the room Luffy was staying at for the time being as _his_ room, as Luffy’s particular room, as if he was already a part of the house, _his_ house.

He was too tired to actually give the idea more thought, but he deep down he knew something new would begin with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps: A family meal is the food the cooks of a restaurant eat themselves in case you were wondering!  
> And again, please answer the question I made so I know what to do or at least I have an idea.  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji faces the hardships of being a boss and Luffy being a good captain helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter because yes, I will continue to post chapters for this fic. Hoever, I will go slower with the writing since I will divide that time to write other things too. I'll probably post something new soon, but I have yet to decide what since I have more than one fic quite advanced!  
> So, without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy!

6.

 

The day after the opening of the restaurant had been great as he saw in the newspapers that it had been cataloged as a really good place to eat even if new and ran by a pirate. They had said the last part like he was a pest, but he seriously didn’t care. They wrote that the species from the All Blue had yet to be seen, but that it was probable they would appear soon. They also mentioned that it was a fun place since live bands played and that the Pirate King was there. He knew that was true so he went to show it to Luffy that was still sleeping.

Sanji woke him up and as always he wasn’t responding so he shook him. Instead of getting up he rolled over the bed and fell to the ground. He laughed while Luffy protested about being woken up so roughly. When he was finally standing he showed him the newspaper he was holding and made him read. Luffy said he was glad everything had gone well and that he was very proud of him. He felt something inside him bloom, a weird sensation, but the feeling itself wasn’t bad just strange so he let it pass and focused again on Luffy.

He thanked him for the words and showed him again the part where they talked about him. He read it again and looked at him weirdly as if not getting what he was trying to show him. He rolled his eyes and told him.

“They say that this place is fun because you’re here,” he said and laughed while Luffy still looked puzzled.

“I’m not a clown though, so I don’t understand why it’s fun with me here,” he said and he had a pout on his face.

He smiled and said, “Don’t get mad! It’s a good thing actually and you aren’t a clown. You’re a fun guy to be around, that’s all.”

Luffy stopped pouting and grinned back at him. He went to his side and asked for breakfast. He laughed again and both went to the dining room to eat. He had already prepared something because they had to get ready to attend the restaurant. It was still early, but he needed to be there before eleven o’ clock since the cooks had to arrive at that hour.

When they were done they showered and went down to the restaurant. He explained to Luffy that all he had to do with the cash register was accept the money the waiters would bring and put it inside of it. He didn’t need to count it or anything as he would do that after working hours. Luffy didn’t look too happy with his instructions, but didn’t say anything.

Suddenly he remembered he had to look for a cashier and he went with Luffy to the center of the town to announce in the newspaper that he was looking for one. When he was done with that they went back to the restaurant on time before the staff came. He would be interviewing people tomorrow and hopefully he would hire someone so he could free both Luffy and the restaurant from having him as the cashier.

When it was eleven o’ clock most of the staff showed up except for one of the cooks that he had noticed usually got late. He had warned him that he couldn’t keep coming late, especially after the inauguration of the restaurant, but it seemed he hadn’t really listened to him. He was mad that the guy hadn’t actually showed up on time as he had requested of everyone.

The hour for the opening of the restaurant was at noon and the whole staff was ready for it already. He knew that it would be strange for people to arrive at that hour since normally people ate later, especially if it was a Saturday, but he opened the doors and noticed that a lot of people were already waiting. He welcomed them with a smile and he saw some pretty women entering the place.

Sanji guided them to a table and showered them with compliments while the women smiled. They asked him for the best dishes the restaurant had and he recommended them the chicken cordon bleu that he was going to prepare especially for them and for free. The women smiled and thanked them, but before he went to the kitchen he felt Luffy beside him and when he was turning to see him he grabbed him by the ear and told the women that he couldn’t give them food for free.

He started to protest while Luffy held his ear and walked towards the kitchen. Only there Luffy let go.

“What are you doing? Why did you do that?” He asked completely lost and kind of mad at the situation.

“I’m helping you. If no one is there you’ll give every pretty lady free food and you’ll go broke,” he said matter of fact with his arms crossed.

“I can do whatever I want with my restaurant. Also you aren’t my mom to grab my ear like that!” He exclaimed giving Luffy a stern look.

“I know it’s your restaurant, but I already said that I’ll keep you from doing that so you leave me no choice. I’m not your mom, but I’m your captain and one way or another I’ll look out for you,” he stated with calmness.

He wasn’t that mad that he couldn’t see that if he said something like “the voyage is over so you aren’t my captain anymore” it would only hurt Luffy. Also he knew he didn’t feel that way either and for him it was actually rather sweet that he still somehow protected him from his own stupidity. He knew well enough that if he did try to feed every pretty woman for free he would be bankrupt and while at first he had thought that Luffy was only joking about taking Nami’s role of keeping him at bay, he still preferred that Luffy was willing to be the responsible one for once in his life.

He still prepared the dishes for the women and was the one that served to them even if the waiters had been perplexed by his behavior. Luffy explained to them that he was always like that so they had to get used to it soon. He stayed with the women to see if they had liked what he had cooked, though he knew it would be like that and he only wanted to see their reactions.

They thanked him for the good food and congratulated him for his skills. He loved when pretty women said those kinds of things to him and he was going to offer them not to pay again, but before he could Luffy appeared and asked them for the money. The women didn’t seem to mind about it and he told them the prices listed according to the menu that he held on his hand. After that they said that they would come back soon and would tell their friends about the restaurant.

Upon hearing that Sanji started to give them compliments and say pompous things about their beauty. The women only laughed and then left. He felt filled with energy and went back into the kitchen while Luffy stayed seated in front of the cash register. He saw from his face that he was probably bored, but he had offered to help him so now he couldn’t back down from it.

Half an hour passed and the kitchen was particularly busy and he knew it would get worse (better for him) as time passed. He had completely forgotten about the cook that hadn’t arrived yet when the man appeared from the back door as they were instructed to do. He looked as if he hadn’t even run to get there in time, as if he had come walking like this wasn’t his job. He hated those kinds of attitudes a lot and he thought he had committed a mistake by choosing the man, but he had been skilled at cooking and his personality was very easy going so he had supposed he would be fine at the job.

He had come whistling a song completely unworried of the hour. He got close to him and asked him what his problem was. The man had said that nothing was wrong with him and he really couldn’t believe it. The guy had come one hour and half late to work and it seemed he didn’t care that these were the first days of the job. If he was like that now how would he be later on?

He never accepted anyone’s bullshit and warned him again that he would seriously kick him out if he came to work late again. Unlike the first time, he had actually told him that he would fire him and the other times he had only asked him to change his attitude. The guy named John nodded and went to change his clothes to the dressing rooms ready for the staff. He still looked too calm for his liking, but he would deal with it later.

After the rush hour where a lot of people came and the waiters had to make a line because there weren’t enough seats for everyone, he finally let the cooks eat in turns. It was past five at the afternoon and he had already given Luffy time to eat and he replaced him at the cash register since he knew he would die if not fed before. The rest of the cooks and waiters all went to eat at the staff room and he was the last one to eat.

When he was done he went back to the kitchen and noticed that there were new orders and that it meant that the people that came for dinner were arriving. He was going to cook some of them and asked the waiters if beautiful women had come to the restaurant because he would cook for them. The waiters said that they weren’t sure if that was the case so he went to see if there was any. Before going though, he noticed that the cook John was going out of the kitchen to the backyard.

He turned around and called for him. The man turned around too and he asked him where he was going. John said he had to go to play with some friends of him since it was a Saturday night. He told him that he couldn’t go like that and if he left he would seriously fire him. The man seemed to think it over as if this was a matter to be discussed and for that alone he felt like kicking him out immediately not caring if he would have to hire someone new to fill the spot.

John finally went back to his position in the kitchen and continued working with a scowl. He really didn’t care if the guy was annoyed; this was a job and he had to be professional about it. So, they continued preparing the orders from the costumers calmly. He heard as John joked around and while he was irresponsible he had to admit he was actually pretty funny. Since he was the boss and the guy hadn’t behaved too well he knew he couldn’t laugh along with the rest so he maintained quiet.

Some hours went by and the closing of the restaurant was soon. He went to see how Luffy was faring and he looked to be rather sleepy, but he still kept awake guarding the cash register as if his life depended of it. He smiled and told him to hold up for a short time. Luffy smiled back at him with a tired gesture, but he continued receiving the money and the tickets the waiters gave to him.

Less than half an hour passed and the waiters closed the front of the restaurant and started to arrange the seats so they could clean the floor. The kitchen helpers washed the final dishes from that day and when he thought everything had been fine he noticed that one of the kitchen helpers carried a dish with some food on it. He realized that it was the food the staff and him had eaten so he asked who hadn’t eaten everything.

John had raised his hand without really caring about what he had to say. He had already told everyone at work that no one was allowed to waste any food under any circumstances.

“Why didn’t you eat it completely? I thought I had been clear that no one could waste any food,” he said trying to hide a little his bad temper. He wanted to be a good boss and he knew that he was a lot more used to behave like a pirate, but he would try to show some sympathy.

“I didn’t eat it fully cause I didn’t like it too much. Mashed potatoes with meat isn’t my favorite, boss,” John said nonchalantly totally disrespecting his command.

“But I told you before that there no were excuses to throw food in this place, didn’t I? Especially if it’s because you don’t like some food so you are going to eat it right now. Reheat it if you want, but I won’t repeat myself,” he stated and he was having trouble holding back from what he would usually do.

If this was him from when he navigated in the Sunny he would have put the food on the guy’s mouth through a kick, but he was his employee and he supposed he had to treat him nicely for some time at least.

John shook his head and he was getting incredibly mad so he told him again to eat it, but the guy refused again. He was about to kick him out for good when Luffy appeared through the door that connected with the dining room. He looked around everywhere and seemed to notice that the mood was tense.

He asked what was going on and he answered tiredly that John wasn’t listening to him. He got serious all of a sudden and put in those stances that meant he was going to fight against an enemy. He wasn’t looking for that, but he knew that when Luffy was like that he was unstoppable.

“Hey, Sanji already told you to eat that food so you have to listen to him,” he said with a stern voice.

The cook only smiled and shook his head again. He was getting madder by each second. The guy was too stubborn and he was regretting that he had hired him. He noticed the energy that radiated from Luffy and he knew that things would end up badly if this continued.

“Why are you smiling? Are you making fun of my cook? I’m gonna kick your ass if you keep that up,” he stated in a menacing way. The whole staff looked worried and afraid for what might happen.

He didn’t want for things to go to that extreme, but he also knew Luffy’s personality well enough so he was sure that if the other guy didn’t back down from his rejection it was highly probable Luffy would knock him out.

He noticed how John gulped and after a short moment nodded and went to heat the food to eat it. He saw how something sparkled in John’s eyes and he had the impression something completely new would erupt because of that. With that Luffy went back to his normal carefree state and asked if they had something to eat since he was hungry. One of the other cooks offered him an extra cereal bar she had and he accepted gladly.

While he ate Sanji put close attention to John and waited until he was done eating and warned him again that one of the main rules in his kitchen was that no food could be wasted and that he couldn’t get late one more time or he would fire him in the spot. The guy nodded and after that everyone began leaving to their houses and in the atmosphere there was a sensation of friction. He wouldn’t allow his cooks misbehaving in his kitchen so he didn’t care if they were afraid or anything like that. They had to respond to him and he would be their boss, for good and for bad.

He stayed counting the money and told Luffy to go back to the house alone, but he remained there with him. After he was done he closed all the doors and went upstairs with Luffy that was really tired. He was exhausted too as he had almost forgotten that it was different to work in a restaurant than for the Straw hats since he had to cook all day long. He missed it, but it was weary in its own way. Especially now that he was the cook in charge of everything and the role of a boss was something completely new.

He knew how to guide the crew when they were separated in groups, but this time it was different. He was responsible for everything now and it was stressing even if fun. He really wondered how Luffy could handle all that pressure so well and for him even now he still was _his_ cook. That resonated within him as he had said that so sure of it with no trace of doubt, as he still saw him like when they had first met. Of course he still considered him his captain, but it was so distinct to hear Luffy saying it.

Both changed into their pajamas and when Luffy had gone to say good night he couldn’t help but ask him the thought that remained in his mind.

“So you still consider me _your_ cook? Will that change if you meet someone else?” He inquired, but he thought it wasn’t right how he had worded it. It was like he meant if Luffy met someone else almost as a lover or something like that.

“I don’t know why you ask, but yes. I’ll always think you’re my cook and I’ll eat from your food until I’m dead,” he said seriously and he was speechless. He had only asked by curiosity, but Luffy had turned things into a whole new level.

When he finally found his voice again he said, “I think you’re exaggerating, but that’s good to hear I guess.”

Luffy nodded and then said, “But that also means I’ll always be _your_ captain so don’t ever doubt I’m gonna be there for you.”

He nodded as well and something inside him exploded. He smiled at Luffy and told him good night so he could sleep in his room. When he was out he turned the lights off right after he left because he was incredibly tired and sleepy.

Sanji tried sleeping right away, but he just couldn’t. His mind brought him back to the conversation he had just had with Luffy and repeated it in his head time and time again. It was like his neurons wanted to tell him something and the only way for him to understand the meaning of everything was to play it like a broken record.

He really didn’t get anything his mind was trying to provide so at the end he fell asleep from all the heaviness his mind and body felt. Still, in the depth of his consciousness he knew something important was unexplored there, in their words and in their claims as captain and cook. He hoped he would understand someday, but today he was too tired.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji notices that someone is more than interested in his captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm really sorry for posting the new chapter so late! Last week was super busy for me so sorry for the delay!  
> Thanks for reading as always and I hope you guys like this chapter!

7.

 

Sundays were the busiest for restaurants as families liked to go out to eat. Sanji couldn’t say he didn’t like that as he actually enjoyed his job a lot. To have people taste his dishes and be delighted by them was incredible and he wouldn’t change it for anything. However, he wasn’t doing that as he had to interview the possible cashiers for the restaurant. Luffy was currently at the position and he had managed quite well as he hadn’t lost any money yet, but the work consisted in actually counting the money and making sure the numbers were right and coincided with the purchases, something he hadn’t done. If nothing was missing was out of luck and because Luffy paid attention that no one got close to the cash register.

Sanji was very thankful for his effort, but he couldn’t have him all day long there when he wasn’t working with him. When he finally hired someone he would prepare something good for him, but for now he was focused searching for the best person to have at the restaurant. It had to be someone responsible and intelligent. Luckily for him everyone that had come seemed to be good and capable. Sadly though, there were not any pretty ladies and only guys came for the job, which he hated because he only had one beautiful woman in his restaurant and while it was hard not to be biased towards her, her job as a cook was excellent and he didn’t have anything to worry about.

When Sanji interviewed the last man for the position he was sure he would hire the second one that had presented. He looked really professional and he had worked in a bank before so he knew how to count money really well. After he was done with every interview he announced to the man that he would hire him and that he would begin the next Tuesday since in Mondays the restaurant was closed. The man named Fernando accepted and stayed out of his own volition to see how things worked at the restaurant.

He would have loved if the man stayed the whole day instead, but he had to tell his family that he would begin working there. When he was done explaining the prices and how each thing cost he went back to the kitchen. Sanji preferred to actually cook, but he had to do so many other things too like for example receive the food supplies, which was already taken care of. The good thing with hiring the cashier was that he wouldn’t have to stay late counting the cash.

He entered the kitchen to cook something according to the orders and to see how things were going. Thankfully that day John had come early, much earlier than any other day and was working with a lot more enthusiasm than before. He still cracked jokes, but he didn’t comment about leaving before his working time so he was really glad about that.

Since it was already past the rush hour it was John’s turn to have lunch. He sent him to the staff room so he could rest properly and the guy went with a plate and a glass of water. That day they had prepared spaghetti and he hoped John had understood that he would really kick him out if he didn’t eat it completely. Before he went out of the kitchen he warned him and the man only nodded with a smile.

Some time passed and he noticed that John wasn’t coming back. He hadn’t gone alone to the staff room as he had sent him with another cook called Jericho. The other cook was already back and fifteen minutes had gone by so it was strange that he was taking that long. He hoped he wouldn’t go back to his annoying ways and went to look for him outside the kitchen.

He heard him laughing and saw that John was next to the table that had the cash register. Luffy was with him laughing as well and from the looks of it seemed they were having a great time. It was almost like they were the best friends ever or as if they had known each other for a long time before. He got close to them and he frowned at the man. He liked that Luffy got along with the staff, but that didn’t mean he wanted them slacking off because of it.

He asked John why he was late again and the guy said he had forgotten of the hour since he had stayed to talk with Luffy. He commented too that Luffy was incredibly funny so it was easy to just forget about time. Luffy had laughed again with John, but he remained quiet as he didn’t see what was so entertaining of the situation. He told him to go back to the kitchen and John told Luffy that he would talk with him later after working hours with a wink. Luffy smiled with a nod and with that the guy left.

Sanji didn’t understand too much what was going on. It was like everything that had happened yesterday with Luffy literally threatening to kick the guy in the ass was forgotten by both of them. He stared at Luffy trying to find an answer and Luffy looked at him puzzled and asked him if he needed something. He only shook his head and went back to the kitchen.

While he was cooking in the kitchen he heard John saying that Luffy was really funny. He spoke with some cooks called Christina and Mariano about Luffy and how it was interesting that even if he had warned him he would kick his ass if he didn’t listen to him he was still so nice after that was over and some other good things. He felt a mix of pride for hearing those good comments about his captain that were totally true, but he also felt awkward listening to it as if he wasn’t in the room. It was like gossip for some reason and he felt uncomfortable by it.

The hours passed and he was about to close the restaurant. He had sent all the staff to their homes and was currently counting the money of the day in his office. When he was done he went to close the front door. He heard some laughs coming from the kitchen and he recognized that Luffy was there with someone else. He got closer to the kitchen and he noticed that John was still there even if he had supposedly left already.

He went inside and asked John what he was doing there. The guy jokingly said that he had thought he had asked him to stay at work yesterday. He rolled his eyes while Luffy and John laughed loudly for the jest. When they finally stopped he told him to go away already since he had to close the restaurant and go rest to his house. John lingered there for an unknown reason and before he told him to go again he asked if he could hang out at his house for some time.

He was astonished. This was the weirdest thing he had heard in a long time and that was saying a lot considering he was living with Luffy. Of course he refused immediately and the guy only shrugged and said goodbye to them. Then he left them alone and he closed the door of the back and went upstairs with Luffy.

When they arrived to his house he asked Luffy what he thought about John’s request. He said that he didn’t care if he stayed with them for some time, but he was also really tired so he preferred to sleep soon. After that he prepared an easy dinner for both and Luffy thanked him for the food. When they were done Luffy offered to wash the dishes, but since he was helping him so much at the restaurant he declined and told him to sleep. He went instantly and he looked really tired.

He felt kind of bad for making him work so much for free when it seriously wasn’t his obligation to do so at all and was only doing it because he was a great friend. While he cleaned the plates he started to think about John’s words and attitude. He was rather irresponsible, but wasn’t a bad cook or person from the looks of it. He was pretty funny and gave off a good energy to the other cooks and that in a team was important, but sometimes he was kind of weird.

Sanji opted to sleep and stop thinking about John’s behavior. He didn’t think he was threatening in the least as he didn’t have anything he needed to protect from the man, but something was off. He just didn’t know if it was something in John or him.

……………………………

That day Sanji woke up out of costume early, but he didn’t have anything to do really. It was his first free Monday and he was happy because the work of a full time cook was tiring. It was exhausting to work as a cook and a fighter too, but it was different and if he was made to choose he wouldn’t know which exact job he would pick as he liked both sensations a lot.

He got up after staying a little on his bed. He had never been one to rest in bed that much as he preferred action over relaxation in general, but since the opening of the restaurant had been stressing he lay down on the bed savoring the feeling of the soft sheets and his pillow.

After he showered and changed into his day clothes he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Luffy and him. He peeled fruits as he knew Luffy liked them better than vegetables and they contributed vitamins too. Luffy liked meat too much and it wouldn’t be good for his health to only eat that so he prepared fruit for him in an attempt to make him eat balanced.

He put two plates in the table of the dining room and went to look for Luffy at his room. He opened the door and saw that he was still sleeping as always. He looked really peaceful and quiet like that, completely different to most of the time when he was being loud and provoking disasters.

He called for him, but he didn’t listen so he shook him. Luffy rolled over to his side and almost fell, but he held him firmly. In the middle of the edge of the bed and his arms he woke up. He asked what he was doing with a small smile and he told him that he was about to fall. He rolled over to the bed again and he let go of him. He informed him that breakfast was ready and with that he left to the dining room.

Luffy went right behind him and sat to eat like an animal as usual. He thanked him for the food when he was done and asked him what they would be doing that day since it was their free day. He said he didn’t know and Luffy suggested they could go fish at the river. He nodded and told him that he needed to get ready for that though. Luffy went to shower as he had commanded of him in the first days he had arrived.

He didn’t take too long and while he was brushing his hair with his hands he felt a knock on his door. He knew who it was, but he really didn’t know what he could be doing there.

He opened the door and saw John standing there with a smile on his face. He was carrying a bowl covered with a white mantle. From the smell he guessed those were vanilla cookies, but Sanji was really lost as to why the man had come to his house in the morning uninvited on his free day.

He stared at John for some time until he asked if he could get inside. He didn’t want to, but he knew he had to be cordial with his employee as the boss. He stepped aside and made him come in. Then he closed the door and invited him to sit at the couch.

Luffy that had been going from the bathroom to his room had come to see who it was and when he saw that it was John he smiled widely. He asked him what he was doing there and he waited for the response because he wanted to know the same.

“I was just passing by and I thought it would be cool to come see you. Here, I brought you some cookies,” John said with a grin and handed Luffy the bowl.

Luffy accepted it with a smile and thanked him. For his part, Sanji seriously didn’t believe anything he said because firstly, the restaurant wasn’t in any neighborhood so no one really “passed by” as the place was mostly a forest even if close to the town and second, who walked around with vanilla cookies anyway? It was too strange considering they didn’t know each other for that long, but it seemed the guy was really into purchasing a friendship with Luffy.

He really didn’t care if he wished to do that, but he thought he would be disappointed since Luffy wouldn’t stay too long with him. That way John stayed with them while Luffy ate all the cookies. He didn’t ask for any because it was obvious they were made exclusively for him.

Luffy talked with John about this and that while he remained silent. Sanji felt like he was intruding even if this was his house and John was his employee and Luffy his friend. When Luffy was done eating more than twenty five cookies he asked him why he was so quiet and he just shook his head since he didn’t have an actual answer for that. After that Luffy stood up to get water from the kitchen and he stayed with John alone in the couches.

It was very uncomfortable because he just didn’t have anything to tell the man. He was actually getting annoyed at John for he had wanted to spend his free day resting and away from work, but the guy being in his house was like a reminder of it. Also, he knew he had to behave like a boss in front of the man instead of acting like a 24 years old normal guy that wished to be alone with his friend. He wasn’t possessive of his friends in the least, but he really didn’t want to be with John in his house.

When Luffy got back he noticed that they were quiet and said that it would fun to go out to the beach. Well, there went the initial plan of fishing in the river. He didn’t mind it too much, but for some reason he was mad to have the man there with them so the entire way to the beach to do whatever they would do was extremely annoying for him. For starters Luffy laughed too loudly with John about his jokes, that with each passing minute he found them to be more boring than before.

After arriving Luffy said he wanted to walk through the shore and he wanted to run back to his house since he really didn’t wish to spend his day walking around searching for seashells as that was Luffy’s main goal.

They started and said that they would go and stop at a big rock that could be seen from there. After that they would come back to have lunch. He didn’t know if lunch meant that they would be eating together or something, but he did know he hated the idea. He only hoped a beautiful woman was having a sunbath in her bikini. Only that would make his mood better.

They walked looking for seashells for Luffy as he had expected. John helped Luffy find orange and baby blue ones as he said he didn’t have any of those colors. He didn’t do anything as he only walked looking if there were some women so he could maybe flirt with them. Luckily for him two pretty ladies were resting in the sand and he forgot all about his companions and went in their direction.

The ladies didn’t want to flirt with him at all because they were a couple and he went back to the others with a sad face. He had hoped he would get to be with the women while those two walked by the ocean and only when they were back from the big rock he would walk again with them. Instead, he was doomed to spend his free day with them feeling strangely like the third wheel.

Luffy asked him if the girls disliked him with a laugh and John laughed too, but he shook his head and told them that the women were together so he had no chance there. Luffy said that perhaps later he would find someone pretty in their walk, but all he could see from there were families with children and lonely runners. He grimaced; he hated this feeling of loneliness so much even if he knew he wasn’t really alone.

Sanji stayed quiet for a long time until Luffy seemed to notice his dejection and asked him if something was wrong. He only shook his head since there was no way in hell he would talk about this in front of a stranger for much that Luffy liked John. Luffy didn’t inquire anymore, but kept looking at him as if trying to find answers by just staring at him. He got bored of it and told him to continue looking for seashells since that was what they had come to do, but Luffy shook his head.

“No, we didn’t come for that. We came to have a good time all of us, but you have been angry this whole while and I don’t understand why,” he said and he could sense worry in his words.

He noticed that John looked somewhere else as if to give them space even when he was right next to them. He still didn’t want to tell Luffy that he was mad about being alone so he made up an excuse.

“I’m not angry, I’m just kinda bored. I don’t like to search for seashells that much, but you’re having a great time with John so maybe you should stay him while I go back to the house.” He lighted a cigarette to try to making it seem like he was only tired and not actually mad.

Luffy pouted and told him not to go and stay with them, but instead John said that if he was bored he should go to do something more interesting than being with them with a smile. He nodded and started to leave. He said goodbye to both and Luffy protested and tried to make him stay while John had a small smile. That was so weird and it finally clicked on him: the guy wanted to be alone with Luffy.

He should have seen it sooner, but it was clear the reason John had to want to be with Luffy alone and not with him around. John probably liked Luffy and it was obvious having a third party -his boss at that- wasn’t good. Seriously, he should have known even if the guy wasn’t particularly evident because he had gone first thing in the morning to his house that was literally on top of the place he worked just to give Luffy cookies.

He thought it was kind of soon for him to like Luffy, but when love called he guessed things like that happened. It was still baffling to not have realized it before since he was an expert in romance, but he hadn’t noticed the signs and that worried him. Perhaps he was losing his touch. He was also preoccupied about Luffy’s own feelings. Did he like him too? Would they date? Would that make Luffy stay longer with him just because of John? The last thought put him in a worse mood than before and he went straight to his house.

When he arrived he prepared lunch only for himself, but then he remembered that Luffy might come too so he cooked something for him. He didn’t know if John would come with him so he made something for two people and if he didn’t arrive with him he would serve the remaining food at dinner.

Sanji wasn’t really against Luffy liking someone or possibly going out with John. He only felt kind of sad since he didn’t have anyone that saw him that way and it was disheartening when he liked women so much and if he had to be honest he wished to be with one a lot. He had only been with women fleetingly before and in the middle of navigating with the crew so he had never experienced a real relationship. Now that he was settled in a place he wanted to know what it felt like to be with someone for a long time and to cherish that person while said person did the same.

Just thinking about it made him feel not only angry but depressed too, so he preferred to stop pondering about his lack of a love life. He concluded that he would support Luffy if he liked the guy back and he would try to hide that he felt downhearted for not being able to be with someone unlike him.

When he was done he washed the dishes as always and went to his room to lie on his bed. He picked a book to read and rested on the bed. It was a book that related about a fantasy world where a war broke out between two kingdoms. It was an interesting story, but he really wasn’t feeling anything he read. The main character was about to die and he couldn’t care less about it. Seeing that he wasn’t really paying attention to the book he closed it and decided to just stare at the roof.

That was the first time in probably years that he did that so without noticing he fell asleep almost immediately. It was like he was actually tired, which he didn’t think he was, but the slumber was so deep that he didn’t feel when Luffy got there until he called for him. He had a smile on his face like he was happy to see him resting and he asked him what hour it was. He responded that it was lunch time.

He almost laughed, but then he remembered about John and asked Luffy if he was with him. He nodded and he got up to serve both men lunch. He went to the kitchen and pulled out from the fridge a bowl with fricase on it. He served two plates while they waited seated at the table in the dining room.

He served them and stayed with them even if he still felt like he was intruding, but he had nothing else to do anyway. Luffy started eating instantly when the plate was in front of him, but John took his time. He inspected the dish intently and took in the scent. It was clear he was testing it, but he really didn’t care. When he was done with that he picked his fork and bit a small portion of the food. He tasted it carefully and he saw how his eyes widened.

He cleaned his mouth with a napkin and said, “This is so good! You’re so good! What the hell? You’re so much better than me!”

He almost rolled his eyes and said that of course he was, but he only smiled. Instead Luffy did speak.

“Of course he is! He wouldn’t be the Pirate King’s cook if he wasn’t!” Luffy exclaimed and he smiled despite not wanting to. Luffy always said things like that and it made him incredibly proud.

He noticed that John stopped smiling after listening to Luffy, but continued speaking and asked him how he had prepared the meal. He didn’t have any special secret so he just explained to him how he had done everything. Luffy that had eaten the whole thing stated that just hearing about them talking about food made him want more. He told him that he had eaten enough already, but that he could give him a dessert if he could wait for some time.

John stood up with him and asked if he could help him, but he refused since it would be only a crème made with eggs and milk. He still insisted in watching him and went with him to the kitchen. Luffy stayed behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room waiting for his dessert while singing happily. John laughed about Luffy’s singing voice and Luffy got rather mad that he was being made fun of since according to him (and only him) he sang really well. John apologized for his words and he rolled his eyes. It was never good to make of fun of your crush if you were just starting to see them, he wanted to tell John.

The other cook watched the whole process of him making the crème even if he was sure he already knew this recipe. The guy still told him that he did something different with the amount of sugar and milk. He explained that he had learnt over time that if he mixed the milk with sugar before adding the eggs it was better. John looked amazed at the information and Luffy said that he was incredible in preparing things because he did them with passion. Sanji smiled again at Luffy while he grinned back at him. He noticed that John was staring at them, but didn’t say anything.

Luffy ate happily again and when he was done he said he would wash the dishes, but he refused since Luffy had helped him at work the other days. He cleaned everything and after that he went back to his room since he didn’t want to get in the way of John’s probable attempt of wooing Luffy. His captain still told him to stay with them, but he said he wanted to read, which he didn’t really and put music in a dial to listen.

Some time passed by and he saw the sun was setting from his window and then Luffy appeared asking for dinner. He told him that John could do it, but he said loudly that he preferred his food and he felt really bad for the guy since he was standing in the door frame with a frown in his face. He stood up because while he felt bad for John that didn’t mean he would let Luffy have something he didn’t want.

Again he cooked something good but not fancy and John observed him and how he did every step of the recipe he was making. He prepared ratatouille and John didn’t comment anything about it this time. When he served everyone their plates John did the same process as in lunch and when he tasted the food he made the same expression as before. He said that he had seen him the entire time and nothing was different to how he prepared it, but that it was still better than his preparations. He shrugged since he didn’t have a response for that while Luffy said that he was really good because he did everything with love. He seriously didn’t think that was the answer or the cause, but he only smiled.

John didn’t say anything and continued eating. He had the impression he was mad, but he didn’t understand why so he didn’t care. Then he went back to normal and started cracking jokes as always and Luffy laughed about them. Sanji thought he was being the third wheel again for the umpteenth time that day so he left them alone when he was done eating and this time he asked Luffy to wash the dishes.

He went back to his room to read and some hours passed and John wasn’t leaving. He could hear their voices in the living room and he really wanted to go and tell John to leave since tomorrow was working day. He didn’t only because it seemed Luffy was having a good time. He kept reading trying to put away from his mind the loud laughter coming from the living room.

He noticed that there was no sound anymore after a while and he guessed John had already left. He felt Luffy coming to his room probably to say goodnight. He entered the room without knocking on the door and said that John had gone and that had said goodbye too. He nodded and when Luffy was going to his room he stopped him. He turned around and he spoke up.

“Do you notice it?” He asked Luffy who gave him a puzzled look so he continued. “That John likes you, I mean.”

“I know that he likes me. We are good friends!” Luffy exclaimed completely oblivious to what he was really saying.

He rolled his eyes and said, “I mean as more than friends. He probably wants to go on a date with you or something like that.”

Luffy’s eyes widened and he put a hand to his mouth. It seemed he didn’t believe it. He also noticed how a small blush crept up his face as he stuttered. It was rather funny to see him so abashed so he waited until he found words again.

“I don’t think he does. What makes you think that anyways?” He asked him and he knew he was actually interested in what he was saying.

It was truly surprising to see Luffy care about something like this. Sanji had said he would support him if he liked John back, but the situation was still new and it caught him off guard anyway.

“Well, he likes to talk to you and about you when you aren’t with him, and he clearly came today to see you. Not me, that’s evident. I mean he brought you cookies randomly and out of nowhere. Also he stayed the whole day with you, so I think I’m right about this one,” he said nonchalantly as if he was totally used to this.

“A good friend likes to see their pals, you know? I think you’re looking too much into it. He has only seen me three times so I don’t think he likes me like that,” he said trying to make sense, but he could see him struggling.

He laughed as he found what he was saying comical. “I know about these things so trust me when I say he likes you. I don’t think time has anything to do with it. When I like women I go to flirt immediately with them and I don’t take even a minute to do it.” He said and then another thought came to his mind so he added, “Are you interested?”

Luffy blushed even more and he had an answer already even if he shook his head. He rolled his eyes again and told him, “Just admit it. It’s not something bad.”

He continued to shake his head while he put both hands to cover his face. He laughed because he thought it was really cute that Luffy was acting this way as this was probably the first time he felt something like this.

“Is this the first time you like someone?” He asked him kind of amused at his reaction.

Finally Luffy seemed to accept it and nodded completely embarrassed. He was curious about something else so inquired him.

“You didn’t even consider it with Boa Hancock, but with this guy you are interested? What gives?”

“I just don’t like her. She’s a great friend and she helped me a lot, but I don’t see her that way. When I became the Pirate King she looked for me to get married, but I turned her proposal down. She was really sad,” he said sounding sorry.

Sanji felt the sudden impulse to kick Luffy because he had turned down a marriage proposal from the most beautiful woman in the world and instead he chose John out of all people. John was young as them as he was 26 years old and he had to admit that he was pretty good looking, but Boa Hancock was literally the most gorgeous woman on earth and Luffy refused to be with her. Well, his captain was special so he probably perceived things differently. Still, it was strange that he knew he liked John. He had thought it would take him more time to accept it.   

“You accepted rather fast that you like John. How do you know? I thought you would be completely lost and I would have to tell you,” he told Luffy because he really didn’t understand.

“I just know I guess. I’m not a kid that knows nothing about this kind of thing even if it doesn’t look like it,” he said and was still embarrassed. Then he asked him, “Do you really think he wants a date with me?”

He nodded and said, “Yeah, he’ll probably ask you one of these days. Most possibly within the week. I mean he came to see you and only you today and you talked two days before so I don’t think he will take too long.”

Luffy smiled at him and with that he went to his room to sleep. He had a wide smile on his face and he still had a small blush. It was really sweet to see him that way. It was totally new and unexpected, but while at first he had been sad by the thought that he would be alone, he liked the idea of a Luffy that had someone. Nevertheless, he still found it weird that Luffy had known he liked John that quickly. He was good at noticing some things, but with others he was completely oblivious and was almost innocent. He hoped he would catch up rapidly to whatever signs John gave him if they did go on a date because he had the impression that Luffy for much that had stated that he wasn’t a kid that didn’t know anything about love, he still thought he would probably have a hard time anyway.

He grew tired of giving the idea that much thought and went to sleep. As he changed into his pajamas he continued thinking about Luffy’s new crush. Seriously, would he be fast as this time with another person or was it because he liked John that much? He didn’t have an answer and for some reason that unsettled him. He lay on his bed staring at the roof again and couldn’t fall asleep for a whole hour. He shouldn’t have slept in the afternoon…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's one thing that is difficult for me is writing Sanji cooking things as I don't know anything about cuisine. I just know he's good at it and try to look for recipes that I don't understand lol  
> Again, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy goes on a date; Sanji freaks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Here's a new chapter so I hope you guys enjoy it!  
> Thanks for reading!

8.

 

John had really asked Luffy out and today was the day of the date. He had asked the past Friday and Luffy had accepted, making it seem like he wasn’t a complete rookie in love even if it was the opposite. They had agreed on going out to somewhere in town at Monday and everyone that worked knew about them having something more than a friendship. Sanji heard the cooks, the kitchen helpers and the waiters talking about it ever since they found out.

Even Fernando the cashier knew about it. The man had started the job the past Tuesday so Luffy didn’t have to work in the restaurant anymore. He still spent most of his time there anyway talking with John in the kitchen. Sanji didn’t care as John wasn’t really distracted from his job. The only thing that had been a problem at first was that Luffy was really tempted to eat from the food the cooks prepared so he warned him he would kick him out if he ate anything that wasn’t given to him.

Luffy had behaved and so he had spent every day with the staff and him. Well, mostly with John as that was Luffy’s real goal. They talked and laughed about everything and it seemed they really liked each other. They were kind of annoying being that close when sometimes people needed silence to focus, but the staff understood the situation and left them alone.

Now it was only two hours away from the date and Luffy and Sanji were freaking out. He couldn’t show his real state to Luffy as he had to help him calm down, but he was really nervous. When John had asked Luffy to go out he had accepted, but after that he had grown anxious with every passing day. Luffy was nervous about what he would do and say, but Sanji told him that all he had to care about was to have a good time with the person he liked.

It was strange to see Luffy like that, but he found it cute if he had to be honest. That didn’t mean he wasn’t as nervous as him. He had to help him get new clothes since the ones he usually wore weren’t fit for any date. He had to leave the Sunday in the afternoon to buy him new clothes since he didn’t have much money left and because he wanted someone else’s opinion.

They chose something nice and since it was Monday they were having lunch on his house. John would come get Luffy at three and while they waited they didn’t speak about anything. The previous days they had talked about what Luffy should do and he had explained many times that he had to act just like himself since that was the best way to go about it. Sanji hadn’t been able to really talk about the whole kissing part. He just didn’t know how to even approach the subject so he hoped today wasn’t the day they kissed and if it did happen Luffy could handle it well and naturally.

When they were done eating he told Luffy to shower as he had to be clean for the date. He went and when he was ready he showed him how he looked with his new clothes. It was a red vest similar to the one he used to wear always, but this one was darker and had yellow buttons. He wore it closed so his chest wasn’t exposed completely. His shorts were a little longer and they covered his knees in their totality, but didn’t reach past them. They were a darker blue too and the rest like his hat was the usual. His hair was visibly combed, but it still looked disheveled in a cool way.

Still, something about him looked different and Sanji thought he looked great. It was probably the fact that he had prepared for the date that made him look so special. He stayed quiet staring at him because it was so different to see him like that and Luffy asked him if looked too ugly since he wasn’t saying anything. He shook his head with a smile and said that it was the complete opposite and that he was only amazed that he looked so well.

Luffy smiled back at him and they waited in the living room for John. They talked unlike when they were having lunch as it seemed Luffy wanted some distraction. Sanji was the one actually getting distracted as Luffy looked so different and nice he was having a hard time focusing in the conversation. Luffy didn’t seem to mind as he was too nervous about the date and kept talking about many things at once but nothing in concrete.

It was past three and John hadn’t arrived yet. Luffy had gotten more anxious, but he told him to calm down as it was usual for dates not to be at the scheduled hours all the time. If John was actually really late or had ditched Luffy he would kick him out in the spot, but not more than fifteen minutes had passed so he didn’t think that was the case.

Not only five minutes went by and he felt John’s presence in the stairs. Luffy felt it too and he ran to his room to make it seem like he wasn’t nervous about the date so Sanji waited until John knocked on the door. He waited a little to open to look like they hadn’t been expecting him as he had to play along with Luffy. He smiled upon seeing him and noticed that he was also dressed nicely and carried a box of chocolates. They looked homemade so he hoped Luffy would like them.

Sanji made John come in to wait for Luffy while he acted like he was going to look for him in his room. He knocked on the door and entered quickly to wish Luffy good luck. Then both went out to the living room where John was waiting for Luffy and when he looked at him he whistled. He saw how Luffy blushed, but he really wanted to kick the guy because that was so out of place, inappropriate and uncalled for.

John said he liked how he looked and Luffy said that he thought the same. John handed the chocolates to Luffy and he thanked him. While Luffy went to put them in the kitchen he felt incredibly awkward waiting for them to leave for their date, but he didn’t know where else to go so he stood quietly while they got ready. When Luffy was finally back they went out and he wished them to have a good time. Luffy gave him one last look of nervousness and he made a sign for him to have good luck too while John looked somewhere else.

When they were out going to the front of the house he closed the door. Sanji didn’t know what exactly was considered luck anyway, but he hoped that meant Luffy would have a good time in his first date ever. He went to the kitchen to drink water and he gulped the liquid from one gulp. He was seriously nervous about this whole thing. If things didn’t go well he really thought he would probably kick out John instantly as no one in the world was allowed to make his captain suffer.

He went to his room to try to do something, but he was restless. He would have loved to take fresh air at the river or the beach, but he didn’t know where they would go so it would be too awkward if they found each other in the middle of the date. That would be the worst type of third wheeling so he preferred to just stay at his house even if he didn’t have anything to do. Not even cooking looked like a good option and that was so strange for him.

Sanji put the dial with music on and started to read a new book he had bought the other day. This one was about romance and while the summary was interesting he wasn’t reading anything. He read the lines over and over, but nothing got inside his head. His eyes scanned the pages multiple times, but no information was stored in his brain. It was so much that he didn’t even know the name of the main character’s love interest.

He decided it was a great loss of time to continue with that and closed the book. He continued listening to the music. Of course it was much better to listen to Brook singing live than the dial, but this worked too. The device was currently playing love songs and he felt somehow sad for some reason. It was like that bothersome pain for being alone came back in full force again. Sanji hated feeling like that as for him it was almost like he was envious of his own friends and he really disliked that idea.

The love songs continued while he pondered that if things worked out between Luffy and John that would make Luffy stay longer at the island. He had almost forgotten about that, but now he remembered that unusual fear he always felt ever since Luffy arrived at his house. It was irrational to be so afraid of him leaving when he knew that Luffy would go away at some point because that was his nature. He wouldn’t be able to wait for him and he would get bored soon.

What was worse was the fact that he had hidden Luffy his real intentions on staying at the restaurant and not going with him in his new journey. Then an idea came to his head: Luffy would probably convince John to go with him in his trip. That made things better for him as he was only lying to Luffy and making him waste time, but he felt really bad and the sadness grew in his heart and his chest felt heavy.  

Sanji found it unbelievable that he felt so many things at once over a simple date and he knew he really had to look for a girlfriend soon. Since he had been so busy with everything in the restaurant he hadn’t had time, but he finally understood that he needed to go out more and find someone so he wouldn’t feel that alone. He also knew he had to tell Luffy what his real plans were. He had to tell him that he really wished to stay at the island and not accompany him and that it was better for him to look for someone else.

In that way John was a good substitute since he knew how to cook, something Luffy really didn’t know how to do. But even if he said that he still felt so hurt by the thought of being left alone. He hadn’t been really alone ever since he found Zeff and he knew the fear of being abandoned was probably born from his awful stay in that jail when he was a kid, but he couldn’t fight against it as he had grown too accustomed to be with people and be infected by their happiness and joy.

One day he knew he would have to learn to be really independent, even if according to Luffy he already was, so it was better for him to start sooner rather than later. When Luffy arrived after his date he would inform him of his plans and would let him decide what he wanted to do with that, with no pressures and on his own will. He wouldn’t look sad and pathetic trying to somehow make him stay and he would accept whatever he chose.

As he was overthinking everything way too much he opted to sleep a little to pass time. It was probably the first time in his whole life that he slept that much. Not even when he was jailed or in the islet starving he slept so much. Sanji thought it was probably his own way to adapt to his new lifestyle and how much he missed his crewmates. When he had visited Zeff he had been accompanied by him and the other cooks so it wasn’t that noticeable. There was also the fact that the first months were all about the celebrations for finding the All Blue, so it was different.

Sanji fell asleep when it was close to five o’ clock and woke up when it was past seven and half. He really didn’t know how he was able to sleep that much since he never needed to rest for long. If this kept up he would lose form so he thought he would probably have to train and workout later on. Today was too late to start so he went to have dinner. He prepared something quick, but good to light up his mood. He even cooked some pears with wine as dessert.

He started eating close to nine o’ clock and he wondered when Luffy would arrive. It sounded like he was clingy, but he hadn’t thought about him the whole while he cooked. That was the amazing thing about cooking; when he did it he focused on it so much he didn’t think about anything else.

He tasted his own food and when it was fifteen minutes past nine and he was still eating the main dish he felt Luffy’s presence outside the house. He was alone and while he didn’t want to jump to conclusions it was more common that if the date went well to come back accompanied. He waited for Luffy to enter through the door with a jumpy heart. He really wanted to know that things had gone well for him, but when Luffy finally appeared he had a sad face and he almost wanted to ask him where John was to kick his ass right now.

He tried to give him space so he only saluted him. He waited until Luffy got to the dining room. He gave a short nod to say hi and sat down in front of him not saying anything. He pulled out his hat from his head and rested it in the table. He really looked dejected so he had to finally ask him if the date was good.

He hated how he phrased it since it was obvious that hadn’t been the case, but Luffy didn’t seem to care and shook his head.

“It was really good at first, but at the end it got ruined…by me,” he said with shame.

He didn’t understand so he told him to explain if he wanted.

“We were having a great time together. We went to some fair that had a lot of games. We played in most of them and some people were being annoying since they wanted to take pictures of me with them, but we ditched them and went to a coffee shop to eat. Everything was good, though your food is better of course, and when we were walking through town John held my hand. I held his too and then we went to the shore. When the sun was setting it was kind of obvious we would kiss, so he kissed me but I didn’t respond.”

He said and he was torn between asking if John had done something inappropriate and reassuring Luffy that nothing had been ruined by him. His worry got the better of him so he asked what troubled him the most.

“Did he kiss you when you didn’t want to? Where is he so I can kill him?” Sanji knew he was being overprotective, but he wouldn’t put up with any guy taking advantage of his captain.

“It wasn’t like that. I told you that the moment was perfect so I let him. The problem was that I didn’t respond back.” Luffy defended the man seemingly trying to make him understand the situation.

He felt bad for jumping to conclusions even when he had said he wouldn’t so he tried to calm him. “It was your first kiss, right?” Luffy nodded and he continued, “You were probably really nervous and didn’t know what to do. It happens sometimes so it’s okay. I’m sure you will have another opportunity.”

Luffy shook his head and he gave him a puzzled look. He said, “That wasn’t the problem. At first I had been happy that we were going to kiss cause I wouldn’t have let him otherwise, but when he did it just didn’t feel right so I didn’t do anything and he looked at me really sad.”

“Did he suck at it? I mean he did something weird? Did his mouth stink cause if it was like that then it’s really understandable what happened, Luffy,” he said while nodding trying to demonstrate Luffy that those things occurred.

Luffy shook his head again and chuckled. “I don’t know if he sucked at it, but he didn’t do anything weird and his mouth smelled just fine. It was something else. It was like the sensation was off, like he wasn’t the right person to kiss.”

Sanji tilted his head in confusion and asked him, “But I thought you liked him enough to at least try, right? What was so decisive that made you feel that way?”

“I don’t know. When he touched my lips and I closed my eyes I thought ‘ah, this isn’t right’. I opened my eyes immediately and didn’t do anything after that. He tried to kiss me again, but he noticed that I just wasn’t responding and we went back to town. We didn’t talk at all and he left me on the path to here. We only said goodbye and that was it.”

Sanji guessed that made some sort of sense, but he was still lost on what made Luffy be so sure that John wasn’t the right person. It was just a kiss after all, for insensitive that it sounded. He inquired Luffy about it and he answered.

“I really don’t know. I thought it had to be with someone special, but maybe he wasn’t that special to me. He’s really fun, but I think I need more than that,” he said with a shrug.

Luffy was really sensible about love things apparently and that was strange for Sanji as he had never pictured him to be that kind of person at all.

“You’re a romantic, aren’t you? You may not like this, but first kisses aren’t always that good cause they are awkward, but I insist that the next time you’ll like it a lot more,” he stated and then he added, “Are you going to keep trying with him? Do you hate him cause if you don’t want him around I can tell him to go away, you know?”

“I hope so!” He said and laughed a little and the sound of it calmed him since he was more worried than he liked to admit. Then Luffy continued, “I don’t think I will try with him anymore. I don’t think he’s the right person or someone I want to kiss. It has to be someone else, but don’t kick him out just because of me. It’s not like we fought or something like that.”

“You can try with a lot other people! Don’t give up!” Sanji laughed as well and then asked Luffy if he wanted to eat something. He refused and went to drink water to the kitchen.

When he was there he stayed in the kitchen for some time looking at something. Sanji went to his side because he got worried and asked him if something was wrong. He noticed that he was staring at the chocolates John had made for him. He took them and was tempted to tell him that he would throw them away if he wished, but he never wasted any food so he preferred to say something else.

“Do you want me to eat them instead? They can’t be bad,” he said with a small smile.

Luffy nodded and told him, “But you have to make some for me too. It’s only fair, though I know the ones you prepare are better.”

Luffy winked at him and laughed loudly. He felt bad for John because Luffy was really too much and had no tact in those matters, but if he preferred to eat his food it wasn’t really his fault.

He took out chocolate from one of the pantries and started melting it to make some for Luffy. He would eat his later, but for now he was focused on the task at hand. Luffy remained by his side while he churned the chocolate with butter in a bowl that was on top of another one that contained ice to cool it down.

At first Luffy had been talkative, but then he stayed quiet. He looked at him over his shoulder and asked him if he was sad again. He nodded and he felt really depressed too. Since he knew from his experience he thought it would be a good idea to “share the pain” so he tried to cheer up Luffy.

“Hey, don’t get like that! I’m also alone and ‘waiting for the right person’ as you say. If it makes you feel better we can wait together until we find someone good and that feels right,” he said with a smile and he saw that it seemed to do the trick.

The captain grinned too and even laughed a little. He nodded and accepted his proposal.

“Okay, let’s do that! We will wait together for the right person so I hope we find them at the same time or it’s gonna get weird,” he said with mirth in his voice and his smile finally reached his eyes.

He felt content with that and for finally seeing Luffy in his normal state. He told Luffy to wait for the chocolate to be ready and they went to the dining room to talk. He tried to distract Luffy as much as possible so he related him that he was planning on going to the All Blue in about a month. Luffy said that he wanted to go with him in the small ship he had and with that it was like they forgot everything about what had happened.

Sanji was so focused on keeping Luffy away from sad thoughts that even if he knew he had something to talk with him he just couldn’t remember what it was and, with every laugh and smile from Luffy, whatever it was slipped farther and farther away from his mind. He hoped it wasn’t anything important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stay tuned for the next chapter because it's one of my favorite!  
> And as always thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji gives a special gift to Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chaptert that I said would have interesting things!  
> I hope you guys like it and thanks for reading as always!

9.

 

With everything Sanji had to do in the restaurant and Luffy’s failed date, he had completely forgotten about Luffy’s upcoming birthday. Thankfully, he remembered two days before and was able to prepare something for him. It couldn’t be a surprise birthday party as Luffy spent most of his time at the restaurant with him. Sanji didn’t know how he didn’t get bored, but it seemed he was fine with staying with him.

At first it had been awkward between Luffy and John as they had to come back to see each other the past Tuesday again. Everyone had noticed that they weren’t talking and assumed things hadn’t gone well. Luffy spoke with the guy to apologize for what happened, but he said he didn’t want to continue going in dates with him. Sanji was of the idea that if he didn’t like John enough to kiss him there was nothing he should apologize about, but Luffy still did it.

That way he organized something for the Sunday since Luffy’s birthday was that day. It would have to be something small and after working hours with the rest of the staff as they really didn’t know anyone from town enough to invite them. He had asked Luffy what he wanted for his birthday and he answered that he wished to spend the day fishing at the river with him. He told him that it would have to be on Monday since he had to work. Normally, Luffy would have tried to make him ditch his job just to get what he wanted, but it was like he had matured and didn’t insist on it too much and accepted his offer with a smile.

Sanji still felt that spending the day together wasn’t a great birthday gift. They were together most of the time anyway so he didn’t see anything particularly special about it and he tried to think of something Luffy might want, but what could he wish for when all he cared about only four months prior had been finding the One Piece? He already had, so he guessed a nice meal would be good, but it still felt lacking.

That day he had woken up Luffy with a lot of meat for breakfast even if it wasn’t the healthiest food for the morning. He had sung him happy birthday even if embarrassed, but Luffy had really liked it. The only thing he said that was missing was his cake, but he told him that he would have to wait for later. Luffy pouted and said that the party could be without a cake as he wanted to eat everything by himself. Sanji refused and that was how the day had begun.

Now they were currently waiting to close the restaurant and it was frustrating as Luffy was literally asking people to leave. Sanji scolded him for obvious reasons, but he had to admit it was hilarious that he was so impatient. When the last costumer left at past eleven and half, Luffy yelled happily that it was time to party. It was kind of late and since it was Sunday before the free day he thought that not many of the staff would stay with them. Sanji knew that Luffy wouldn’t like that and he felt really bad for it, but surprisingly everyone stayed and had gifts for Luffy.

Even John had a gift for him and when he gave it to him it wasn’t as awkward as he had feared, which was great because he wouldn’t be able to handle Luffy and his employee in bad moods. Of course Luffy exclaimed that he wanted his cake first, but he told him that he had to wait so people could eat too. Sanji gave him roasted meat the cooks and him had prepared beforehand and he forgot all about the cake.

Sanji put music in the restaurant and Luffy stood up to dance. The staff started to dance too while he was busy serving food to the ones that were seated. It seemed everyone liked that he was serving them even if he was the boss, but he didn’t find anything interesting about it; he was used to cook for anyone so it was something common.

Luffy suddenly came to him and told him to go dance with the rest. He accepted since everyone was eating already. He went with him and they moved to the music’s rhythm while making small jumps here and there and laughing happily. He felt that John was staring at them, but he had no idea why. He thought it was because he longed to be with Luffy, but he had the impression that wasn’t the case and he actually had a problem, mostly with him if he had to be honest.

He didn’t want to tell Luffy about it, but it was evident he had already noticed it too. The fact that he didn’t comment on it was proof enough that he was uncomfortable by the situation. Sanji was getting tired of the guy watching them so much that he almost went to ask him if he needed something, but thankfully he stopped and they continued to dance calmly. He noticed that Luffy’s mood got better and he felt glad since he wanted him to have a good time.

They danced with everyone and at some point even John followed them. He was having a good time dancing until Luffy told him that he was hungry and wanted his cake. He rolled his eyes and went to look for it at the kitchen. He took out the cake from one of the fridges and he searched candles for it. He put twenty two candles on top of the cake so Luffy could blow them to celebrate his birthday.

He went back to where everyone was waiting and when they saw the cake they started singing happy birthday to Luffy. He put the cake in front of Luffy and sang again with the rest. When they finished singing everyone clapped and Luffy was smiling widely. He told him to make a wish before blowing the candles. Luffy said that he didn’t have any wishes, but he insisted in that he should come up with something so Luffy closed his eyes to think and then when an idea popped up he blew the candles.

Sanji put the cake on a table to serve Luffy and the staff some of it, but Luffy approached him suddenly and hugged him tightly. He hugged him back while Luffy thanked him for the party and the food. He didn’t think it was a big deal as the crew always celebrated everyone’s birthdays when they navigated together, but he wasn’t going to tell that to Luffy anyway.

After they separated he served the first piece of the cake to Luffy and when he tasted it he smiled and said that he loved the savor. It was a strawberry with crème cake and he had been the one that had prepared it alone. He didn’t want anyone’s help even if the cooks had offered to aid him with baking the cake. Sanji preferred to make something only by himself for Luffy for some reason. The others cooks respected his decision and he was really happy for it because it felt amazing to listen to Luffy praising his cooking.

Luffy ate more than half of the cake alone and after he was done and in his fat form he started opening his presents. Most of them were souvenirs from all over the islands’ cities and various types of food. Of course Luffy was glad with all of them and his favorite had been a lovebird keychain that one of the waiters had given him. He felt bad for not giving him anything apart from the trip to fish so he decided he would give him something later tomorrow if he had time.

The captain had wanted to party the whole night, but he told him that everyone was tired and were normal humans unlike him and had to sleep. He wasn’t too happy with stopping the party, but other than sporting a small pout he didn’t say anything. The kitchen helpers tried to help him clean everything, but he sent everyone home including Luffy. He still stayed when the staff was out already while he washed the dishes and swept the floor.

Luffy had wanted to help him too, but he told him that it was his birthday and he wouldn’t let him do anything. Luffy waited for him and when he was finally done he noticed that he looked really tired and sleepy. They went upstairs to his house as always and Luffy went immediately to his room after thanking him again for the party. He also said that the next day would be really cool as they would fish together.

Sanji went to his bed too and changed into his pajamas. He lay on his bed under the blankets and he fell asleep right after turning the lights off. He still had one last thought in his head though: Luffy’s smiling face when he tasted his cake.  

………………………………….

Sanji had to shake Luffy to wake him up many times as he wasn’t responding. It seemed he was still tired after the party. And to think he had wanted to stay and party the whole night, but it was obvious now that if they wished to go to the river then it would have been impossible that way.

He continued shaking and calling him, but since he only rolled over to one side and then to the other of the bed he decided he would have to do something else. He went to look for some of the meat he had bought for Luffy and put it close to his nose so with that he would finally react. As expected, he got up instantly and he had to take away the meat from Luffy since he wouldn’t allow him to make a mess in the room.

He guided Luffy to the dining room with the meat since he was still sleepy. He felt like he was taming an animal instead of just giving breakfast to his captain, but the guy sometimes was a beast and things like these couldn’t be helped. When they arrived at the kitchen he put the meat at the table and Luffy finally woke up completely. He was really focused on the food, but when he ate everything he smiled at Sanji and thanked him for the meal.

Sanji told him that he had to get ready if he wanted to fish at the river and Luffy ran to the shower fast. Since he was already on his day clothes he didn’t care so he washed the dishes while Luffy changed. He also prepared sandwiches for both so they had something to eat later. They could eat the fish, but that wasn’t the point and he wanted to enjoy fishing with Luffy too. It had been such a long time since they did something like that together.

Well, almost six months wasn’t comparable to years or anything like that, but he still really missed being around Luffy and the crew. Before finding the One Piece they had fought for an entire month to achieve it and after that they celebrated for another month. Then they separated and Luffy somehow managed to appear in his life once again, without him really expecting it as always.

When Luffy said he was ready to go Sanji gave him a basket with food and he carried another. They went to the port where the small ship Franky had built for him was anchored. He really liked the design of it as Franky hadn’t done something flashy for him, probably considering that it wouldn’t match with his personality. Luffy liked it as well and commented that it really suited him.

The ship was made of wood and the deck was painted blue while the three rooms it had were painted yellow. It also had some black adorns as terminations. He had come to see it one time and it hadn’t been ready, but now that it was he felt incredibly thankful to Franky that hadn’t charged him for anything when he had every right to do so.

They entered the ship and went to see the interior. Of the three rooms it had, the bigger one was a kitchen with a huge refrigerator inside it, which was perfect for his plans to go to the All Blue soon. The other quarters were smaller and they consisted of a bedroom and a bathroom. The main room only had one bed, but it had more space to throw a mattress if needed. That was really good since Luffy was supposed to go with him to the All Blue in the upcoming month.

Sanji started the ship when Luffy let go of the moorings. The distance from the port to the river wasn’t large so they took about twenty minutes to arrive. The good thing from the island was that, while not dangerous for people, it wasn’t filled with rules and the marines that much. They were still there like in every other place, but they didn’t control the ships that went to the river. He knew that after they found the One Piece, the marines seemingly didn’t mind them too much and left them alone most of the time, but it would be bothersome to have been registered by them as Luffy was the Pirate King and he was a pirate himself.

He asked Luffy where he wanted to fish and he said that the farthest from the town as possible. He knew he would say that so he didn’t know why he inquired anyway. He steered the ship with a lot more easiness than what he had expected. Perhaps he had gotten better at it with the passing time next to Nami.

Luffy for his part sang loudly about the lovebirds that he could see perched in the trees and bathing in the water. He sang about their pretty colors, but how they were stupid for not being able to speak like the other parrots. It was a stupid song, but he laughed with each verse and he had to admit that he was having a great time. It seemed Luffy was having fun too from what he could see in his smile and the shine in his eyes.

Since the city was big it took them one hour to arrive at a place Luffy liked. After getting bored of singing Luffy started to eat the sandwiches he prepared. Sanji tried to stop him, but he refused saying that it was part of his birthday gift. He rolled his eyes and sighed because Luffy ate everything and his plans of spending the day only fishing were gone. Luffy noticed that he was kind of disappointed and asked him if he wanted a piece of the last remaining sandwich. It was nibbled everywhere so of course he told him that he didn’t want any of it.

After that Sanji took out two fishing rods and handed one to Luffy. They went to the rails of the ship and started to fish. It was very calm in the middle of the forest as no sounds from the city came to where they were. They could only hear the singing of the animals, the rustle of the trees and the waves that formed with the wind in the river. It was a really relaxing atmosphere and it was almost soothing. Every stress from work left his mind and even if he loved his job, it was still tiring as he had to have everything and everyone in control.

It was so quiet it made him want to sleep, but Luffy started singing about the big fish he would find and eat later that the mood was gone. It wasn’t a bad thing as this was what Luffy had asked for his birthday. He looked really happy and requested to sing with him, but he shook his head because he didn’t like to sing in front of anyone. Luffy pulled out the “it’s my birthday gift” card again and he accepted but not without blushing a little.

Sanji didn’t know what to sing so he asked Luffy if he wanted to hear something in particular. He said that he liked that song about unrequited love Brook sometimes sang for them. He wasn’t too fond of the piece, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t know the lyrics to the whole song.

He started with the first part that was hummed and then he began to really sing. He wasn’t good to hold notes for too long, but he wasn’t exactly tone deaf either so he knew how to sing in pitch. He preferred to stare directly to the forest, but he sensed Luffy’s eyes on him. It felt uncomfortable at first, but when he sang the chorus he was already lost in the song and swayed his head to the rhythm of the music. When he started the second verse Luffy sang along with him and when the chorus approached again he sang the second voices in his special way.

When the song was over Luffy let go of the fishing rod a little and clapped. Then he held it again while he stared at him. He didn’t know what he wanted so he asked if he had something on his face.

Luffy laughed and said, “No, you have nothing. It’s just that it’s the first time I listen to you sing alone. You sing really well.”

He shook his head with a smile and then said, “I really don’t. I just do it better than you, that’s all.”

Luffy frowned, but still added, “I mean it when I say that you don’t sing badly. That you can’t accept it has nothing to do with my voice.”

He could see the pout forming so he told him that he hadn’t meant that he was bad (which he actually was) and when Luffy was about to answer he felt that something got caught in the hook of the rod. He pulled the line and with not much effort he lifted a big fish from the water. It was blue and when it landed on the deck Luffy eyed it with hunger, but he told him that he couldn’t eat it raw. Luffy responded that he was jealous he caught one before him, but he only rolled his eyes and insisted in that he wouldn’t let him eat it if it wasn’t cooked since he didn’t want him to be sick.

The captain accepted with small tears in his eyes and said that he was such a great guy, but he just didn’t want to deal with a sick Luffy in his house at all. He still annoyed him saying that he was hungry and the only way he found to shut him up was to cook him the damn fish even if he wanted to continue fishing calmly. He couldn’t get too angry though, as this was Luffy’s gift even if he thought it was not a good one.

While Sanji filleted the fish he thought about what could be a really good present for Luffy. He didn’t know of anything he could want and it was driving him mad. Luffy was simple but so difficult at the same time. It could be just food and he would be glad, but that would be too normal and impersonal; he was a close friend, not a random dude so that wasn’t in his opinion something he would appreciate too much. Of course he would like it, but would it feel alright if he gave him something so common and without much thought? He hated the idea of not giving Luffy something worthy and he was so lost in thought that he didn’t perceive when Luffy was out in the deck playing. He went to look for him while the fish was getting cooked. He saw how he was holding a lovebird like the last time they had been at the river. It seemed he wanted to make it talk because he was seriously so stubborn and at this point he wasn’t even surprised.

Sanji recalled how Luffy always wanted to play with animals. He tried to tame them all the time and he didn’t care if they were big, small, beasts, cute or ugly; if they had paws he liked them immediately. Suddenly an idea came to his head. It was a great idea and he knew Luffy would _love_ it if he got him something like that as his birthday gift, but it would be extremely bothersome too. He could already hear Luffy being loud and whatever disaster he hadn’t provoked yet would definitely begin after that.

Sanji stared at him while he tried to give the bird some crumbles that remained from the last sandwich. The bird ate happily, but Luffy blackmailed it with giving it more if it talked with him. The animal didn’t do it and without warning left Luffy alone in the deck. He called it back and was going to follow it as it flew away from the ship. He stopped him when he was almost at the rail because he really didn’t wish to rescue him from dying such a stupid death.

He told him to come inside to eat already and with that Luffy forgot about the bird completely. Both ate quietly and when they were done they went out to keep fishing. They spent a part of the afternoon fishing and Luffy didn’t catch anything, but luckily he did because that would be their dinner. Luffy wanted to eat the fish right after it hit the deck, but he stopped him and told him that they would eat it later.

He was torn between getting the thing for Luffy or not. He knew him so well that he was sure he would annoy the living hell out of him if he did. Sanji was really focused in thinking about the pros and cons of giving that gift to Luffy that he didn’t notice that he was trying to eat a part of the fish raw. He kicked him like in the old times and scolded him for not listening to him. Luffy protested and said that he didn’t deserve that treatment because they weren’t navigating anymore so they wouldn’t end up dead if they screwed.

He felt bad for kicking Luffy. It felt like it wasn’t necessary anymore as Luffy said, as they weren’t teenagers anymore and the captain had grown up a lot in the past years. It wasn’t that noticeable for some people, but he could recognize it easily so he apologized. Luffy still had a pout, but he told him he would give him something really good if he got happy again. Sanji knew he was weak giving in like that, but he couldn’t withstand seeing the captain mad at him over something like a kick. Of course he got interested instantly and wanted to see whatever it was right at the moment, but he told him that he had to be patient.

Sanji asked him if he didn’t mind if they got back at the town earlier than what they had planned. Luffy shook his head with enthusiasm and told him that they could go back right now if he wanted. He started the ship again so they could arrive at the port to anchor it. When they got there it was already six o’ clock so he wasn’t sure if the place was open still. He hoped they were otherwise Luffy would be so disappointed and he would feel miserable.

He told Luffy to go the house, but he wanted to accompany him to where he was going. He refused and said that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he went with him so Luffy smiled widely at him and ran in the direction of the restaurant. Before he turned in a corner he yelled loudly that he was going to wait for him so he couldn’t be late. Sanji smiled inwardly because he couldn’t believe he was really going to get Luffy a freaking dog.

……………………….

As Sanji walked back to his house with the animal in his arms he couldn’t stop thinking that this was a bad idea. He didn’t know if Luffy would take care of it as needed and he hated thinking that he would be the one that would feed it, bath it and keep it clean. If Luffy didn’t tend his pet then he would seriously kick it out. He knew he wouldn’t because that was cruel, but with that warning he hoped Luffy would be responsible.

The pet was still young as it only had four months, though it was kind of big for its age. He hoped that with that age it would be easy to tame, though it would be weird if it didn’t listen to their orders as it was just a pet and not a beast after all. He carried the animal wrapped in a white blanket to keep it from running even if it was relatively calm. It was like it enjoyed being carried around, which he found strange since he had only met the pet recently.

He felt the curious stares the kids gave him and the animal and as he approached his house he knew Luffy would love his gift. It was amazing how he hadn’t thought about it sooner. Luffy had always liked animals and it was surprising he hadn’t gotten one previously. Maybe having Chopper with them made him overlook the thought, as much as Chopper didn’t like to be considered their pet, which he really wasn’t but sometimes people confused him with one.

When Sanji went up the stairs on the side of his house he didn’t even need to search for the keys as Luffy opened the door right after he put his feet on the last step. He turned around immediately while Luffy shouted that he wanted to see his surprise fast. He shook his head and told him that he could only see it when they were inside. He felt Luffy getting inside quickly and he commanded him to not look over his shoulder. He got inside too while facing the outside with Luffy jumping excitedly.

When he was totally inside he closed the door with a hand and then he turned around. He uncovered the pet of the blanket and he could see Luffy’s eyes widen.

Sanji handed the animal to Luffy and said with a smile, “Here: your birthday gift.”

Luffy received it with a grin and exclaimed, “You got me a cat?”

He nodded because yes, he had gotten Luffy a cat; not a dog as he had planned. When he had been at the animal shelter he remembered seeing in town there he had seen tons of animals and he wanted to leave with all of them, but he knew he couldn’t. That was the main reason why he hadn’t wanted to go with Luffy in the first place as he knew he would beg to keep them all when they seriously couldn’t.

As to why he had chosen a cat over a dog was really simple. The dogs barked so much when he had been there that he felt a headache forming and the thought that every day would be like that was terrible. He liked dogs alright, but he had never had one so he didn’t know how to treat them or anything like that. He hadn’t had a cat either, but they were quieter on his visit and he had the impression that the dogs barked at him so much because they just didn’t like him.

The section with the cats instead barely paid any attention to him so that was better for him. Sanji knew he had been selfish choosing an animal so detached when Luffy preferred clingier things, but he lived in his house at the end of the day so it was fair that he got a saying in all this.

That way he had had a hard time opting for one because they were all cute, but they really didn’t care too much about him. The keeper had told him that the cats were more expressionless than the dogs at first, but that with time they got attached. There were about ten cats in different cages and he had looked at each one of them. Only one had actually paid attention to him. It had mewed to him and when he had touched it the cat purred.

That was how he had chosen the cat for Luffy and he really hoped it would behave and love Luffy back. Now the captain was holding it and petting its head. The cat purred again and it seemed it really liked it when they touched behind its yellow ears. It was a ginger cat, though his color was actually closer to yellow. It was those types of cats that had stripes of a darker tone in their body and it also had lighter tones closer to its paws and stomach that were completely white. It had big green eyes that were currently closed as Luffy stroke it softly.

When Luffy was past the shock he started asking him questions about the cat.

“Where did you get it? Did it cost you money? Is it a male or female cat?” He inquired while having it on his arms.   

“I can’t tell you where I got it from because it wouldn’t be a surprise that way. Not exactly, but you will have to buy it food. I couldn’t because I was carrying it,” he explained and with that Luffy went to the door and opened it.

He gave him a puzzled look and Luffy told him that he needed to go before the stores closed so he went with him outside and with the cat still on his arms. Luffy asked again the gender of the cat.

“In the place where I got it they said that it was a male and it has four months. It’s actually only a kitten even if it looks bigger,” he said as they made their way to the stores closer to the center of the town.

He started explaining to Luffy how he had to take care of the cat. “They told me that you have to feed it twice a day and not more ’cause it’s gonna get fat like that and keep its water all the time clean. You have to take it to a vet so it get its vaccines and you have to keep its litter box clean,” he stopped and then added, “I’m saying _you_ because you will have to take care of it. It’s your cat and not mine so I really won’t do anything. You hear me? If you don’t take care of it, I’ll kick it out.”

Sanji said the last part even if he didn’t mean it. Luffy nodded and he really hoped his warning worked as he didn’t want to take care of the cat since that was his responsibility as the owner. When they arrived at the pet store they chose the things for the cat and Luffy didn’t have enough money to pay for anything so he had to pay for everything. It was unbelievable that Luffy had spent almost all his money on food, but he hoped he would gain some at some point again; otherwise _he_ would go broke with the new addition of the cat.

As they made their way back to the house Sanji was the one that carried the litter box, the sand, its bed, the bowls for the water and food, the actual food and even some toys for the cat. He hated spending so much money, but seeing Luffy so happy was actually worth it so he didn’t mind it as much anyway.

When they arrived at his house he told Luffy to arrange the cat’s things. He didn’t want to let go of the cat, but he refused to do it so Luffy had to let the cat down at the end. After he was finished he picked it up again and a question popped up in Sanji’s head.

“Hey, Luffy, have you thought about a name for the cat? He asked with curiosity because knowing Luffy he would probably choose a stupid name for the poor cat.

“Yeah, I want to call him Sanji,” he said with a huge smile and Sanji choked.

What the hell was wrong with Luffy?

“You can’t name it that! It’s my name. A human name, not a cat’s! Why would you put it that anyway?” He said mad that Luffy had even thought about something like that. He really was too much sometimes.

“Well, because it’s yellow and cute and you’re yellow and cute too. You look alike a lot,” he said with a smile again as if he hadn’t just called him cute and yellow.

He deadpanned and said, “First of all, I’m blond, not ‘yellow’. Second, I’m not cute so I don’t see the resemblance at all. Name it something else.”

Luffy pouted, but he wasn’t going to surrender to it so that name was discarded. They still had to have dinner so he prepared the fish they had gotten in the afternoon. The cat mewed and mewed at the smell of the fish getting cooked and he was regretting his idea so much already. He told Luffy to give it food so it would shut up and the cat did eat, but when it was done at an incredibly fast speed it started mewing again. If the cat resembled anyone it was actually Luffy that ate like a hungry beast too.

When the fish was ready Sanji served two plates for them and they started eating with the cat watching them. Luffy had wanted to put it in his lap while eating, but he told him he couldn’t since it could be dirty. The cat still got in the chair next to Luffy and tried to eat from his food. It rubbed its head against Luffy’s arm and he was so weak that of course he wanted to give it some food. He told him that he couldn’t so with that he stopped.

Then Luffy said with a shine in his eyes, “Fish! I can call it fish!”

Sanji grimaced. He didn’t like that name for the cat so he shook his head and told Luffy to name it something else. Luffy was getting desperate and started saying many names for the cat. They were all awful and even the poor cat had a face that showed it hated them and was afraid of its future. 

Luffy upon seeing that every name was bad, picked the bacon that he had added to the fish from Sanji’s plate while he protested. He scolded him as Luffy ate angrily with a frown. The cat started mewing again and Luffy asked it if it wanted bacon and the cat licked its lips hungrily. Sanji told him to stop because it could get it sick if it ate something like that so Luffy shrugged and ate the remaining bacon while the cat cried.

Suddenly Luffy’s eyes widened and exclaimed, “Bacon! That’s a good name!”

His eyes widened too and he nodded. “Yeah, I really like it! Call it that. It’s pretty good actually. It has a nice sound to it.”

Luffy picked “Bacon” from the chair and hugged it tightly as he held it and declared that he would take good care of the cat. Sanji smiled because it was great that he had come with that idea after all. He knew that it would be difficult sometimes, but seriously seeing Luffy’s smile was really worth it at the end.

When they were done he washed the dishes and since it had gotten rather late and tomorrow he had to work he told Luffy that they had to go to sleep. They went to their bedrooms and Luffy left Bacon on its bed. He turned off the lights and closed his door. Sanji changed into his pajamas and when he turned around he saw Bacon lying on his bed. How had it entered without him noticing anyway?

He picked it up carefully and with a smile put it outside the bedroom since he didn’t want to sleep with the cat there. He liked animals, but he didn’t feel like sleeping with it. When he closed the door again he grabbed a book to read. As he turned around he saw that Bacon was seated waiting for him at the bed again. He was freaked out. How did it do it?

He picked it up again gently and opened the door and kept watching until he closed it. He saw the cat trying to sneak in and Bacon seemed to notice that it had been caught. He tried to pick it, but the cat ran too fast and went under his bed. He sighed and regretted his idea again. He tried to grab it from there, but the cat only played and got close and away from him clearly toying with him.

He gave up and went to rest in his bed. He had grown tired so he didn’t read anything. He turned the lights off and when he was drifting off he felt a small lump lying beside him. Bacon purred happily and he hated his life.

Sanji couldn’t believe it. He had gotten a cat for Luffy and it was sleeping with him in his bed, but he couldn’t blame anyone but himself as he had been the one that thought it was a great idea to get an animal in the house. Sometimes he wondered about the lengths he would go for Luffy even if it meant doing the most annoying things in the world. He was too much and that was mainly his captain’s fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it took me nine chapters to introduce Bacon when he's my favorite from this whole fic lol.  
> Also, I live for Luffy singing so there's a little of that too.  
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy fight over stupid things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Here's a new chapter though I must tell to the ones that are reading In Vino Veritas too that it's in a short hiatus since I have a little of an author's block with that one.   
> With this fic I have material and chapters for months so I'll keep posting periodically!  
> Without further ado, I hope you guys like this chapter!

10.

 

The day after Sanji had given Bacon to Luffy as a present he had wanted to show it to everyone in the restaurant. Of course he didn’t allow him because it wouldn’t be hygienic if the cat (or any animal) came inside the restaurant, especially the kitchen where the food was and most of the staff worked. Luffy had said that Bacon was a clean cat, but he told him that his one condition for it to stay at the house was that it wouldn’t enter the restaurant; everywhere else was fine.

As that order had tons of legal vacuums Luffy stood outside the back door that directed to the kitchen to show Bacon to the staff and when the restaurant opened he went to the front door to show it to the costumers. Everyone thought he was being so cute with his cat and everything, but he was only disobeying him in a different way. He could be so cheeky when he wanted.

Still, Sanji had to admit that he was fairly responsible with taking care of Bacon. He fed it and kept its things clean. He had a hard time waking up early to feed it though so he was the one that gave it food in the morning, but that was mostly because Bacon slept with him and bothered him. He had tried to kick it out each night, but the cat was as stubborn as its owner so he had given up and the cat currently slept with him.

When Luffy had found out he had felt betrayed that his cat and his cook were sleeping in the same bed when he was the owner. He had told him that he was totally capable of taking Bacon with him to his room. Luffy had tried to sleep with Bacon in his bed, but the cat for some reason preferred Sanji’s bedroom and it always ended with him waking up with it right next to him, sleeping or purring.

Luffy had felt even more betrayed by those actions so now that was what led him to this current situation: he had both Luffy and Bacon on his bed, waiting for him to lie there as it was the most normal thing for either of them.

“What are you doing in my bed, Luffy? I don’t care about the cat because it’s small, but you aren’t a cat or small so leave,” he said so the captain would understand.

He didn’t as he said, “But Bacon prefers to sleep with you and he doesn’t want to go with me. It’s my cat and I want to be with him so that leaves me with no other option.”

Of course there were tons of other options, but would Luffy understand that? Probably not, as he knew him well enough, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

“I really don’t care if it wants to sleep here or not. I care that you want to be here ’cause there really is no reason for that,” he said trying to convince Luffy that he didn’t need to sleep here with Bacon because of something like that.

“I told you already that Bacon wants to sleep with you and I want to sleep with Bacon. He probably likes your bed better ’cause it’s bigger than mine. Not because he likes you better or anything,” he warned him and Sanji rolled his eyes.

It was incredible that Luffy had gotten jealous over a cat, but it was true that his bed was probably the main motivation for Bacon to stay with him. It was bigger and he suspected it had a better mattress as well. The bed from the spare room was only a single size bed while his was king size. He had the impression that if Luffy were to find out how his bed was catalogued he would try to sleep there saying that it was his right as the Pirate King. Thank goodness he didn’t know about those types of things otherwise it would be more annoying.

That day had been tiring as hell so he wasn’t up for this stuff and said to Luffy in an annoyed tone, “Okay, here’s what we’ll do: you will go out with Bacon and sleep somewhere else because I can’t care less about it.”

Luffy pouted and picked Bacon up. When he was going out he said that he was too mean with them, but as he had told him he just couldn’t care less about them sleeping wherever they wanted if it was outside his bedroom. He went to close the door and he stared at the lock. It would be so easy to just close the door that way, but it just didn’t feel right. It felt asphyxiating and he thought that even if years had passed when he had been inside that jail, it still remained there in his memory for much that he tried to forget about it.

Sanji went to rest on his bed and since he was so tired he turned the lights off immediately. He was so exhausted that he only noticed the lump beside him when it was way too early for him to wake up. He had rolled to the other side and he felt the small cat lying next to him. He was too sleepy to actually notice so when he moved it a little so he could spread his legs he kicked something and he almost screamed scared.

The thing he had kicked did yell and Sanji was really mad because he thought he had been clear about this with Luffy. The captain protested while he rubbed his legs to soothe the pain. He could have felt bad for it, but Luffy deserved it for not listening to him and he thought it was even better that his legs were that strong.

He woke up completely and asked, “What are you doing here? I told you that you and Bacon had to sleep somewhere else.”

When Luffy had recovered from the pain he said, “Yeah, I know, but Bacon really wanted to sleep here. He woke up in the middle of the night and I tried to stop him, but I just couldn’t.”

He went up a little in the bed and deadpanned even if Luffy probably didn’t see him well. “So you’re telling me that a cat can win over you? That you can’t stop a small kitten? Aren’t you the King of the Pirates?”

Sanji knew that Luffy would buy that bait and with that he would get mad and try to prove that he was stronger and perhaps, with luck, leave so he waited for his response.

“No, he isn’t stronger than me, but he’s so cute that I can’t say no to him. And he wants to sleep with you and I want to sleep with him so it’s not that difficult. Also, your bed is huge so I don’t see the problem and we are both better here than in any place,” he said somehow reasoning with him, though his arguments were really weak.

He sighed. Seriously, why did Luffy have to make everything so hard? It wasn’t a life or death situation if he didn’t sleep with his cat so he didn’t understand why he was so hardheaded.

“Come on, Luffy. You won’t die for sleeping in a smaller bed or without your cat. And I’m sure you have slept in worse places that the single size bed of your room. It’s a really good bed so go there with Bacon and let me sleep, please,” he asked him because he felt sleepy already and having to deal with Luffy in the early morning was too much even for him.

When he finished talking he saw movement in the shadows casted by the moonlight in his room and thought that Luffy would get up, but instead he only rolled over and he heard him snoring. Sanji put his head on the pillow tiredly. Luffy was so annoying when he wanted, but he knew he would only waste time trying to wake him and make him go outside. Even Bacon was sleeping soundly there between them as if this wasn’t provoked by it.

He turned around because it was strange to sleep with Luffy that close to him. They had slept in the same rooms and in beds that were close to each other, but never in the actual same bed. He couldn’t think too much about it because he knew his day would start awfully so he fell asleep quickly, trying to ignore the fact that Luffy was lying on his bed not caring if he had told him that he wanted him and Bacon out.  

……………………………..

As the morning and the right time to wake up came, Sanji got up still feeling tired even if he had slept and he had two animals to blame: Luffy and Bacon. They were sleeping peacefully and it seemed they didn’t care that he was up or had any intention of waking any time soon. He preferred it that way as he could shower without them interrupting to eat because both were incredibly good at being annoying when hungry. Damn it, he had thought that Bacon wouldn’t be that bothersome, but it had picked Luffy’s antics too fast.

Sanji went to the bathroom and when he was ready he opened the door to go to his room. He opened it fast and didn’t notice Bacon standing outside the bathroom until he stepped on its paw and it yelped loudly. He felt really bad for it and picked Bacon up to apologize while the cat tried to scratch him and get away from him. When the pain had subdued Bacon stopped doing that and let Sanji carry it.

Luffy that had been sleeping ran towards them rapidly and asked worriedly what had happened. He responded that he had stepped on Bacon’s paw since it had been waiting for him outside the bathroom and he hadn’t noticed it. Luffy grabbed Bacon from its sides carefully and petted it while it purred happily. Then Luffy said that they would continue sleeping and went to his bedroom. He was in awe and stopped him because it was already the morning so there really was no reason for them to do that. He also needed to dress into his day clothes.

“No, go to your room! I want to be in my room alone,” he stated with a frown.

“No, Bacon doesn’t like to sleep there, so why can’t we go back to sleep to your bed? We won’t bother you because you’re gonna work soon, right?” Luffy said with a small pout.

“Because I need to dress and I don’t want you there,” he said trying to make Luffy understand.

Luffy only laughed and said, “But we have bathed together for years! Why are you so shy?”

He continued to laugh merrily and he hated it. He wasn’t shy; he just didn’t want to have Luffy sleeping in his bed with Bacon while he dressed up for some reason. It made him feel weird, like it was too personal to do something like that.

He knew that Luffy wouldn’t get out of his room so he passed beside Luffy and picked his clothes from the closet. Then he went back to the bathroom where he changed while Luffy told him from outside not to get mad at him. He kind of was, but not as Luffy thought he was. Since he had gotten everything in a hurry he forgot to grab some socks so when he was dressed he went to his room and searched for them.

Sanji didn’t find any and he asked Luffy that was standing up and looked apologetic where he had left his socks because he had been the one at charge of washing the clothes that week. They divided the chores by weeks, so if one washed the dishes or the clothes a week, the next one was the other’s turn to do it. They had been rather responsible with that so it wasn’t difficult. The only chore they didn’t divide was cooking for obvious reasons and feeding Bacon, though it had only been with them one week.

Luffy had that face he made when he had done something bad or was about to lie so he just told him to not even try and spit it out already.

“You see, it was just bad luck, not something I did on purpose,” he said almost scared of his reaction.

He thought he would finish explaining, but he didn’t so he insisted. “Okay, I get that, but tell me what you did and why I don’t have any socks left.”

“Well, I was playing with Bacon because he took a liking for your socks, but I didn’t think he would…destroy them. I’m sorry. He just went crazy playing with them,” he apologized, but he was having none of it.

“Where are they now? What did you do with them? Are you sure there aren’t any left?” He asked exasperatedly and he wanted to kill both Luffy and Bacon.

He took a deep breath as Luffy guided him to the bathroom where the washing machine was. He opened the device and from it fell probably twenty pairs of socks of all types and colors. He inspected them carefully and he noticed how all of them were torn and scratched. Some were only shreds and he was feeling murderous. Luffy noticed his aura and got away with Bacon on his arms.

Sanji ran after both and screamed loudly, “Why didn’t you tell me before? I’m gonna kick that damn cat out!”

“Exactly for that! Don’t kick him out! He didn’t mean it. He loves you a lot!” Luffy exclaimed while he ran through the house and he tried to catch him.

Sanji didn’t care if the stupid cat loved him or anything like that. He didn’t have any socks to wear and he had to go to the restaurant. He couldn’t go without anything so he stopped chasing Luffy and Bacon and thought about something that could help. He asked Luffy to buy him socks. Luffy nodded and extended his hand waiting for money.

He shook his head and said, “No, you have to buy them. You still have some cash so you’ll have to pay for it. It’s your dumb cat that destroyed my socks so it has to be you the one that spends money on this, not me.”

Luffy grimaced and said, “But I can lend you some of mine.”

He deadpanned and told him, “You don’t even have shoes! Go buy some socks and be quick about it!”

With that Luffy went out to get him the bloody socks with Bacon on his arms, looking somehow apologetic too. He looked at it with a murderous glare and if he had disliked the idea of getting the cat for it sleeping with him then, now he hated how stupid he had been for even thinking of giving it to Luffy. Screw Luffy’s wide smile and how happy he looked; he needed socks!

Luffy had gone out to get him socks for longer than an hour and he needed to open the restaurant soon. Sanji waited for fifteen minutes, but he decided to just go with his shoes on without any socks. He hoped no one would notice or else he would kill Luffy. He went down to open the back door for the staff to enter and he felt so uncomfortable without socks on his feet since the leather of the shoes was hurting him.

More than an hour passed since the staff came and he was getting worried because Luffy didn’t appear for all that while. He was going to look for him when he finally appeared with a black bag. He tried to get him out so they could speak in the house, but he only shouted loudly that he had brought his socks if he wanted to wear any right now. He felt as everyone looked at him and he blushed because it was so embarrassing to have a guy saying that out of nowhere without context.

Luffy got close to him and pulled out a pair for him to see. He wished he would have stopped him sooner, but the damage was already done as everyone laughed. The socks were pink with yellow flowers and they were clearly meant for women. They also looked cheap as hell. His blush only intensified and he needed an explanation. He grabbed the bag from Luffy’s hands and stared inside. He only saw those types of socks.

“These don’t look at all like the ones I used to have. Why do they look like they cost less than a berry?” He asked Luffy and he wasn’t even looking at him so he continued, “Did they cost too much for the money you had?”

Luffy nodded without looking at him still and he was sure he was lying at him. He didn’t know what he could be lying about though, but then it clicked in him and he shook his head with an annoyed expression.

“You spent all the money left on food, right? You didn’t eat breakfast so you used what little money you still had on it.” He saw how in Luffy’s face it was shown in plain view what he had thought was the truth and he was so mad right now.

Sanji put a hand to his hair and shook his head again. He turned around towards the door, left the kitchen fast and he banged the door without caring about anything. He was seeing red so he went to the office as he had to do the administrative work. He tried to close that door gentler since the costumers were outside and he couldn’t cause a scene. He sat down in his chair behind the desk and breathed in and out to calm down a little since he was too angry at everything.

Maybe he was making a big deal out of everything and was overreacting, but he just couldn’t stand that Luffy was so carefree. He knew he was selfish, but sometimes it got to him. Normally Sanji didn’t care about it too much since he had met Luffy being that way, but in times it was annoying and he had to control his temper. Luffy was a great guy and he helped everyone and him when no one had wanted, but that didn’t mean he was perfect so he could get mad at him for bad that it felt.

It was a good thing that Luffy hadn’t followed him as he had expected, but he knew him well enough so he probably thought that he needed to be alone. He started to count the money he had earned that month and how much he had spent to distract his mind. Before, he had decided he would do that job tomorrow, but instead he preferred to do it now. The good thing was that the restaurant was earning a lot more than what he had expected and that was great since he needed the money to live, but mostly to continue with the restaurant itself. It would be annoying if he had to close it for not having enough cash to pay for the ingredients and other stuff.

Hours passed when he heard a knock on the door. It was Luffy, but he let him enter anyway. He carried a plate with food for him and he had a sad expression. Sanji wouldn’t fall for that, even if Luffy didn’t do it to make him change his mind and it was natural and without second intentions. He continued making it seem like he was busy counting money though he had finished with that already. He only nodded and thanked him for bringing him food and Luffy put the dish in the desk.

He waited for Luffy to get out to start eating, but he wasn’t leaving. He sighed because it was evident Luffy wanted to speak. He would probably apologize, but he just didn’t want to hear him saying anything in all truth. Sanji was being petty, acting like a teenager and not a grown up man. However, he was still so mad. He knew he shouldn’t be because he had been the one of the idea to get Luffy the cat, but seeing the socks hidden and annihilated by Bacon had been incredibly irritating. He was probably madder at Luffy than the cat since he had allowed it to play and not only that as he had hidden what it had done when he could have told him before so he could get new socks.

Luffy got tired of waiting and started speaking. “I know you really don’t want to hear it, but I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I didn’t take care of Bacon enough so he wouldn’t bother you.”

The captain knew him so well it was sometimes scary. Nothing got past him when it came to the crew. He always knew what was going on with them and if they were happy, sad, saying the truth or lying. It was amazing since he wasn’t the brightest out there, but he had a special ability for those kinds of things. Sometimes he felt naked under his scrutiny and it was maddening to have someone like that so close, almost reading his mind, but he still felt that it was also great to know someone like him. Not a lot of people could say that they had someone that understood them that well and he could and as in most times it was useful he preferred it that way.

Sanji stayed quiet for some time because he seriously didn’t know what to say. If he thought about it calmly the fact that they were fighting over socks and a cat was absurdly stupid and he would be an idiot for extending the fight only for that. Nevertheless, he still felt angry at Luffy. He looked apologetic and maybe this would be the first and last time something like this happened or at least that was what he hoped. So, he rolled his eyes and spoke up.

“It’s okay, but don’t let it do things like that again. If Bacon does something tell me so I can do something to repair whatever it broke or messed. I won’t kick it out or you for that matter,” he admitted and when he saw Luffy’s smile he felt strange.

It was possibly a big mistake to tell him the last part as it worked as a warning even if Sanji wouldn’t do something like that, but he didn’t know what made him say it. It was like he had to clarify to Luffy that he didn’t want him away and it made him feel vulnerable again, but he hadn’t been able to keep quiet about it.  

“He won’t do it again! I’ll take good care of him. He’ll be the best cat ever!” He exclaimed happily and he nodded not really believing that, but he didn’t wish to keep fighting with Luffy so he didn’t say anything at the end.

He started to eat and he asked Luffy if he had eaten already something. He shook his head and said that he had opted to wait until he apologized. He stood up and went to the kitchen and told Luffy to wait there for him. Luffy gave Sanji a puzzled look, but he didn’t explain. He went to look for food for Luffy and when he came back he handed him a plate and told him to sit down at one of the chairs of the office. He thanked him and said that he was the best with a wide grin. Sanji really didn’t want to, but he smiled too.

After that he got back to the kitchen to cook for the rest of the day. Luffy had gone out to play with Bacon and when it was time to close the restaurant he came to look for him. Everyone from the staff left when they were done with their works and he went upstairs with Luffy as always. He had prepared something quick at the kitchen previously since he was too tired to cook something later so he carried their dinner.

When he got inside the house he noticed that Bacon didn’t approach him as it used to. He didn’t care about it and ate with Luffy peacefully while the cat looked at him from afar. It didn’t climb up the chair to be with them like it did most of the time when they were eating. It was like it knew it had done something bad and was acting accordingly so he didn’t do anything to make it seem like it was forgiven.

He asked Luffy to wash the dishes and said a quick good night as he went to prepare for bed. He washed his teeth and changed into his pajamas. He went to his bedroom, closed the door and sat down on the bed under the blankets to read a book for the night. He began reading a love story again and when he was past the second chapter he felt the door open. He saw that it was Bacon looking at him as if waiting for him to let it come inside. Next to it was Luffy too that wasn’t a freaking animal, but seemed to behave like one because he had the same look as the cat.

He kept reading, but he asked Luffy what he wanted. Luffy answered that Bacon wanted to apologize. Sanji rolled his eyes because Bacon was a cat so of course it didn’t know how to do something like that. He looked at it and for some reason it was like Luffy was right about that. It had one of those plaintive looks Luffy sometimes gave him and he wondered if the captain had taught it to be like that.

He wasn’t going to buy it, but both Luffy and Bacon stared at him expectantly and something in his heart moved and he sighed. Since when was he so weak to Luffy’s antics anyway? He recalled that he used to give in to his craziness most of the time because everyone in the crew did and he always did things as he wanted, but this time he thought he had exceeded the limits he had for Luffy.

That still didn’t make him change his mind and he called for Bacon. “Come here, you stupid cat.” It went to the bed rapidly and got up. It sat on his lap and it rubbed its head against his arms and hands. He petted it and it purred and he thought that perhaps this was the way Bacon had to say sorry. He still had to make some things clear with the cat though. “You can never do that again, you hear me? Don’t be a bad cat and we’ll be good, okay?” He said while it rubbed more strongly in his arms.

He had the impression that it really did understand what he was trying to tell it. He continued petting it when he noticed that Luffy was standing outside awkwardly. He sighed. He couldn’t believe he had two animals in his house.

“Come on, Luffy. Just get here already if you want before I change my mind,” he said and Luffy came running just as fast as Bacon had.

He went to the left side of his bed like the last time and sat down under the blankets like him. He picked Bacon from his lap and said that he wanted it to not bother him, but Sanji knew he was just jealous the cat sometimes preferred him. He put Bacon on his lap and petted it while he continued reading. When he was tired he let the book on his nightstand and turned the lights off. Luffy was already sleeping with Bacon in the middle of the bed.

He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. He was really tired so he fell asleep rapidly. For some reason a part of him that remained conscious felt at some point a special warmness in his back. It was comfortable so he welcomed it without caring what it was. When Sanji woke up with a pair of arms hugging him tightly he almost screamed. He didn’t only because he knew those hands too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say that Bacon in this story is important for various reasons, but if you got the end of this chapter I'm sure you guys will understand why.  
> As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is sad; Luffy helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! Another chapter for this fic!  
> I must say that after this chapter things speed up so the chapters are somehow easier to write!  
> As always, I hope you guys like it and thanks for reading!

11.

 

Sanji pulled the arms away with force and then pushed Luffy too that was close to him. He had even rested his head on his shoulder! Luffy opened his eyes and protested at being woken up so violently. It seemed he didn’t understand what was going on so he told him.

“You were hugging me! Since when do we do that?” He asked him with exasperation.

“Really? I’m sorry, I didn’t notice. I did it when I was sleeping,” Luffy explained while he rubbed his eyes.

It was time to get up for Sanji so he went to the bathroom and showered. When he got back to his room to pick clothes he noticed that Luffy was still sleeping, but that Bacon wasn’t anywhere. He went to the living room to look for it and it was sleeping in one of the couches. He felt angry at the cat because he only let Luffy sleep with him for it and the damned animal had gone out he didn’t know at what hour and left them alone sleeping and hugging.

Sanji went back to the bedroom and started putting on his clothes forgetting that Luffy was there and out of custom. When he was putting his shirt on he heard Luffy speak up.

“You are still really strong, aren’t you? You have the same muscles as before,” Luffy said while sitting up on the bed.

He almost jumped when Luffy talked because he had really forgotten he was there. He felt particularly naked in front of Luffy even if that didn’t make any sense because they had seen each other when bathing in various places before, but it felt like Luffy was staring right at his bones and soul. He didn’t even feel flattered by the comment because there really was no reason for him to lose strength as not such a long time had passed since their last fight.

He put his shirt on and said, “Don’t scare me like that!” He put the ugly and cheap socks Luffy had bought for him since he didn’t have any other and yesterday his feet had been hurt by the leather of the shoes so he didn’t have another option. He put his shoes and continued telling Luffy, “Also, of course I’m still strong. I don’t fight anymore, but it’s not like I will lose all my strength in just a couple of months.”

“I don’t know. I thought you would get fatter,” Luffy said with a laugh and he got mad at him.

“I eat like a normal person so I don’t see why I would get fat. If there’s anyone that could get fat is you, but with that rubber body of yours it won’t happen I guess,” he said with a scowl.

“Don’t get mad so early in the morning, Sanji!” Luffy exclaimed as he got up and spread his arms widely like a cat.

He went to the kitchen while Luffy followed him. Luffy went to pick Bacon up that was comfortably sleeping, but that ended when the captain grabbed it to hug it. The cat looked angry and he smiled because it deserved it; he wouldn’t be the only to be bothered by Luffy in this house.

He started to prepare breakfast and Luffy served Bacon its food and water. When he and Luffy were done they ate calmly and Bacon was in the chair next to Luffy to eat whatever the captain would let fall off his plate. After Sanji had eaten everything he told Luffy to wash the dishes. Luffy grimaced and said he didn’t want to do it, but he insisted in that he had to because he needed to go to the restaurant and he wasn’t doing anything anyway.

At the end Luffy accepted and when he was going to the restaurant he also asked him to make the bed because he had slept there too. Luffy nodded with a frown, but he didn’t care if he got mad at him for it. The only thing he did notice was that Luffy had begun to get lazier in his chores with time so he thought he was probably getting bored of being there. He did everything he asked at the end, but he did it not as easily as before. It was obvious this would happen sooner than later, but the pain he felt was still palpable.

He was being so immature about it, but he just couldn’t help it. It was easier for Sanji though, as that way he wouldn’t have to tell Luffy that he wasn’t going to leave with him for a new trip as he had thought he would have to. Nevertheless, he still felt miserable about everything and more than anything he knew he was an idiot for getting sad over it.

When the staff came to the restaurant he received them with a smile, but from the faces they had it was obvious it had been more of a grimace than anything. He was in such a bad mood that the cook Christina asked him if he felt alright. He nodded, but it seemed she didn’t believe him so she asked him if he wanted to look for Luffy. He shook his head and gave her a puzzled look because it wasn’t like Luffy was his lifeline or trouble-fixer (quite the contrary in reality) and she started cracking jokes to cheer him up.

The cook Christina was a middle aged woman that was rather chubby and had a great sense of humor. If John was the clown of the kitchen then Christina followed right behind, but she was a better cook and more responsible, though that was probably because she was older. She had kids so she was really motherly with everyone and even with Sanji that was literally her boss. She was even tender with Luffy that was there by hobby and she had no real reason to be that nice with him, but he guessed she was a good woman like that.

At the end Sanji did end up forgetting about the pain of Luffy leaving and when Luffy came to eat lunch he didn’t remember the bad mood he had in the morning. Luffy liked to wait for his turn to eat and accompanied him to the staff room to be with him. He related him that he had gone with Bacon to the river and he had gotten worried because Luffy could have drowned with the cat since they obviously didn’t know how to swim. He told him that he was being a worrywart and said that Bacon had a great time chasing the stupid parrots that didn’t talk. Sanji rolled his eyes because Luffy just didn’t understand and told him for the umpteenth time that those were lovebirds and they normally didn’t speak.

After they ate Sanji told Luffy that he had to keep working and Luffy said he would go to explore the forest that was outside the city. The strange sensation akin to pain came back again, but he hid it because he didn’t want to worry Luffy so he only told him to take care and to not get close to any type of water. The captain only smiled and both went back to the kitchen from where Luffy said a loud goodbye to everyone.

Sanji continued cooking as usual, but his bad mood was back. He didn’t like to scold too much his employees, but he couldn’t help it that time and he apologized at the end when he thought he had been rude to the youngest cook there named Mariano. Since the guy was only a teenager he was really sensible and had almost cried, but after he said sorry he was fine again.

For the whole staff it was obvious that he wasn’t in the best of moods and tried to avoid him and not get in his way. Sanji was grateful for that because he knew he was being an ass to them and he preferred to let things be. He was just so stupid for getting depressed by everything Luffy did and didn’t do. It was too much and he couldn’t live like that, but every time the thought that he would leave him appeared he panicked. He wondered what would have happened if he didn’t show up at all. Would he feel better or worse?

This time when Luffy had said that he wanted to explore the forest Sanji had felt bad and sad for some reason. It was like melancholy invaded his heart completely. He missed going in adventures with him so much and he understood that he probably wanted to search and find new places he hadn’t seen before, but he felt like he was going to be left out at the end because he wasn’t accompanying him. And it was probably the most childish behavior and way of thinking ever, but he really couldn’t help it. He was so stupid sometimes even if he didn’t want to be like that. He hoped Luffy wouldn’t notice his current state.

The whole day went by and when it was near closing hours Luffy showed up. He had dirt all over his clothes, but other than that he looked like he hadn’t caused -hopefully- any problems. Sanji told him to go upstairs to shower and that he would give him something to eat when he was ready. Luffy accepted and went rapidly to the house in the second floor. For much that he had tried he wasn’t feeling that great yet so he asked one of the cooks to prepare something quick for him and Luffy.

When there were no costumers left in the restaurant and the whole staff went to their homes he got up to his house. Sanji carried a box with their dinner and when he went inside the living room he saw that Luffy was waiting for him with Bacon on his lap. He was clean and on his pajamas already because it was late. The food was still warm so he didn’t have to heat it. He served a portion for Luffy and another for him.

Luffy stared at the plate without eating and he looked at him for some time until he picked his fork and started to eat. He tasted it carefully and he said it was good, but then stopped and spoke up again.

“You didn’t cook this. Did something happen at the restaurant?” Luffy asked him with evident worry in his voice.

“No, nothing happened. You didn’t like it?” Sanji said and he felt bad for giving something to Luffy that wasn’t the best.

Luffy shook his head and said, “No, it’s really good, but I know it’s not yours. You always cook me things so it’s weird. Are you tired?”

Sanji shook his head and continued eating since he didn’t feel like talking about his fears with Luffy that night and probably not tomorrow or ever for that matter. Luffy ate too, but when they were finished he offered to wash the dishes. He refused because it was his turn that day, but Luffy told him to go to sleep. He wasn’t feeling too good so he went to his room and changed into his pajamas. He lay on his right side on the bed quickly and since he didn’t know if Luffy would sleep with Bacon and him he kept the lights on.

After a few minutes Luffy came to the bed with Bacon on his arms. He put it in the middle of the bed and lay on the left side. He turned the lights off and he knew Luffy lay facing his side as if wanting to speak with him. He seriously didn’t want to so he closed his eyes.

He didn’t get to fall asleep though as Luffy said, “Are you alright? You look sadder than tired.”

His voice was almost a soft whisper, which in itself was weird for Luffy and that was probably the first time he had heard him speak that way.

He continued with his eyes closed, but he still said, “I’m not sad. I’m just really tired so don’t worry. Let me sleep and tomorrow I’ll be good as always.”

“So you aren’t feeling well? You can tell me, whatever it is. Don’t hide things from me, please?” Luffy asked with so much emotion that something inside him gave in.

He tried to keep quiet, but he just couldn’t and that thing he was hiding from Luffy became known. “I’m not feeling that good. It’s true, but you probably don’t want to listen to this. You will seriously not understand it ’cause it’s so stupid and I’m being so stupid so…”

“Don’t say that you’re stupid! You are really smart so just tell me what’s wrong so I can help you!” Luffy exclaimed raising his voice a little with more force, but his tone wasn’t rough.

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you, but…” Sanji didn’t even turn around to tell him because he felt so much shame feeling this way for no real reason after all. He continued with his eyes closed and a knot formed in his throat, “It’s just that I thought you would leave, but you haven’t and that’s good because I like that you’re here, but I know that you will go after I tell you this.”

He felt how Luffy got closer to him and he kept talking, “I don’t know if I want to leave the island to go with you in a new trip. I really don’t think I will go with you so you’re only wasting time with me. I’m sorry. I lied to you because I didn’t want to tell you that, but I should have told you sooner.”

They stayed quiet for a while and he waited for Luffy to get mad and leave the room with Bacon. Instead he spoke up softly again. “What are you saying? I never waste time when I’m with you. It’s okay if you don’t want to go ’cause we don’t have to think the same way all the time.”

Sanji felt even worse because Luffy was really a great guy and he could have gotten so mad, but all he did was try to comfort him. His selfish mind still didn’t let him be tranquil so he asked what he desired to know the most.

“Are you going to leave?” He felt pathetic and he really didn’t know when he had become so dependent of people, but if Luffy actually did leave that would be the first time in years that he would be really alone and he hated even thinking about it.

He gulped while he waited for the response and after a short time Luffy said, “Not right now. Probably later some time, but not now.”

He didn’t feel as relaxed as he had hoped, but he couldn’t ask more of him so he only nodded. He kept in silence and Luffy asked him if he felt better. He lied again and said that he did to calm Luffy’s preoccupation over him.

Sanji was so lost in thought that he didn’t feel when Luffy moved Bacon a little and got even closer to him to then put his arms around him. He hugged him gently and he didn’t know what to do.

He opened his eyes, stuttered and said, “What are you doing?”

“Dummy! I’m hugging you so just sleep,” Luffy said and he could feel the vibration of his voice sounding in his back.

Sanji’s heart began beating strongly because he didn’t understand what was going on so he asked again, “Yeah, I get that, but _why_ are you hugging me?”

“Well, when people are feeling sad it’s normal to hug them, right? Or you don’t like this?”

He couldn’t say that he hated or disliked the feeling. He actually liked the warmness he was feeling and have someone holding him was different and even welcomed since it had been such a long time he had felt that way, but at the same time he knew that Luffy hadn’t believed him when he said that he was alright already and he didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable.

“It’s not that, but do you like this? ’Cause if you don’t want to do this it’s okay, you know? I don’t feel sad anymore so it’s really okay,” he said trying to reassure Luffy that he was fine.

“It’s actually really cool. It’s not that hot yet and it’s not cold either so the temperature feels quite well. Also, you’re really comfy, almost like a pillow,” Luffy said with a laugh and it resonated in his whole body, but more strongly.

Sanji’s heart beat even faster at that comment and he really didn’t know how he would sleep that way. However, it was true that he did feel a lot better. They stayed quiet again for some time and he felt in his back the way Luffy’s chest moved up and down calmly. It seemed he didn’t care that they were so close and were currently hugging so he decided he wouldn’t care either and tried to relax too.

As his body and mind started to lose tension he felt like talking about other things he had noticed too. He hoped that Luffy wouldn’t have fallen asleep yet.

“Luffy, you still there?” He felt a nod on his back close to his neck and he continued speaking, “I was just thinking that you actually stayed here for more than a month. I had given you two weeks top.”

He commented and Luffy yawned, but then said, “Yeah? But I’m still here though so don’t speak like I’m gonna leave tomorrow morning!”

He sighed and responded, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that. But it’s true, I really thought you wouldn’t stay here for too long and for that reason I didn’t tell you that I didn’t want to go ’cause I thought you would go on your own before that. I’m sorry.”

He had lost count of the times he had apologized in that short span and when the last words left his lips he expected Luffy to finally get angry.

He didn’t and said, “You don’t have to say sorry that much. It’s not cool that you didn’t tell me, but it’s not as bad as you make sound. I’m not angry because you probably have your reasons so don’t worry.” Luffy stopped and for a while it seemed like he was thinking. Then he spoke up again, “Sanji, are you afraid of something? ’Cause it looks that way to me”

Sanji really didn’t want to talk about this with Luffy so he kept quiet. He felt as Luffy got even closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder like he had done the last night, but this time he did it while awake so it felt different. His heart that had stopped beating that fast went up in frequency right after Luffy’s head was on his back. The captain’s arms enveloped him more firmly, but never roughly.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but I think it will do you well if you speak up,” Luffy said with tenderness and Sanji felt the situation was almost surreal.

He wanted to say that he wasn’t afraid of anything, but Luffy’s words were soothing in a way and they made him want to open up about all his problems. He didn’t want to overwhelm him with information so he only explained it easily as he didn’t know if Luffy would really understand.

“I’m scared of being alone.” His confession was the only sound in the room and he felt uneasy with the silence that overtook them. He didn’t know what came over him and kept talking even if Luffy didn’t say anything for him to continue. “I have always been scared of being alone and when I was with you, the crew and Zeff I never felt that way in a long time, but now I think I’m going to be alone for the first time.”

“You won’t! I know that I’ll probably leave, but not until you don’t feel scared. I really will stay with you so don’t worry!” Luffy exclaimed and something calmed inside him.

He sighed and thanked Luffy. That was the second time he had been completely honest with Luffy and it didn’t feel bad; it was only reassuring and something in him settled after a long time.

Then he told him something that still bothered him even if it could sound weird at the end. “You know something else? I hate feeling this way, but whenever I see happy couples I get kinda jealous. I know I shouldn’t feel like that, but I just want to find a pretty lady for myself too.”

“Stupid happy couples, they are so annoying!” Luffy said with a laugh and he laughed too genuinely for the first time in that day. When Luffy stopped laughing he added, “But don’t worry, though! I’ll help you find someone, but not just anyone. It will be someone really cool and kind just like you. Remember when you said that we would wait for the right person together? Maybe instead of waiting we should look so tomorrow when you’re out of work we should go to town and walk. We haven’t gone there to see the city or do anything fun apart of buying things for the house after all.”

What Luffy was saying made some sort of sense and the idea of searching for someone sounded exciting. It had been a long time since he had flirted with any woman so he hoped the town would be filled with them tomorrow night. It was like he had found energy once again and he didn’t want to sleep right at the moment so he continued speaking with Luffy.

“Okay, I like how that sounds a lot, actually. It’s a plan I guess,” he said to Luffy. Then a thought appeared in his head. It was like he was so eager to have fun the next day that he didn’t want to sleep any time soon and that way he kept the conversation going. “Now that I remember, I had wanted to put a lock in the fridge, but you really haven’t stolen anything from it! You’re so mature now, aren’t you?”

He chuckled and Luffy laughed too as he heard and felt it in the movement of his body next to his. Luffy commented that he seemed to be in a much better mood. He nodded and since he was feeling glad again he continued talking with Luffy. After some time he began feeling tired and desired to sleep so he told the captain that he could let go of him already as he felt better, but to his surprise in seconds Luffy had fallen asleep and the grip around his form was lighter. Nevertheless, it was still there securing him in place.

Sanji decided that for that night he wouldn’t care so he let himself wind down fast. Tomorrow night would be different, but in a good way. He wouldn’t need Luffy embracing him and he hoped he would get to hug someone else, much better if it was a pretty lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New characters will be added to story soon and they will be important!  
> As always thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy go to a fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an unexpected update since it's my way of saying goodbye to the summer and my vacations. I hope that once I'm back with normal daily life it won't affect the uptdates and such.  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

12.

 

Sanji woke up again in Luffy’s arms, but this time he didn’t scream or kick him. Instead he wondered how he didn’t get tired of holding him. If it were him, his arms would hurt by the morning, but if anything Luffy hugged him like he didn’t care in the position his arms were. It was probable that since Luffy was made of rubber he didn’t feel it as much, but it was still surprising as this was definitely the first time he had experienced an embrace that lasted that long with the captain.

He needed to get up to work so he tried to get away from Luffy’s arms. He thought that would work, but it only provoked that Luffy held him more tightly. Sanji called for him, but he didn’t respond so he tried once again and this time as well Luffy hugged him with more force. He even put a leg over his side and it was getting really uncomfortable for him. He was this close to just kick him away, but he had been really nice last night with him so he preferred to keep calling for him.

At the end he practically shouted and finally Luffy let him go. Sanji got away fast, afraid that Luffy would go back to sleep still hugging him. Luffy woke up and asked him where he was going and he said that it was time for him to get up. He got up as well and followed him to the kitchen. Luffy lingered in the kitchen with him while he drank a glass of water and he asked him to wait for breakfast.

Luffy shook his head and said, “No, I want to prepare something for you! But I don’t know what you could like.”

“No! It really isn’t necessary. I’m the cook here and I’m sure you prefer my food better than whatever you can prepare,” he said trying to refuse the offer in a nice manner. In the past he would have kicked him or said something offending like he would probably prepare shit.

“Of course I prefer your food any time, but you cook all the day and you must get tired so I wanted to help you somehow,” he said with a shy grin.

Sanji felt something strange. It was like his heart had been squished by some force and it beat so strongly it was hard to breathe. He couldn’t calm down his erratic heart, but he still tried to focus on the conversation otherwise Luffy would think he was having troubles again and he didn’t want to worry him.

“The best way you can help me is keeping the house clean! Make the bed and it’ll be good. Nothing more,” Sanji said with a smile trying to regain composure.

Luffy accepted with a smile of his own, seemingly not understanding why he didn’t want him cooking anything, but that was better for him at the end. He went to the bathroom and Luffy went to the room to make the bed and pick Bacon from there. When he was ready he went to his room to get dressed and thankfully Luffy was in the living room waiting with Bacon for breakfast. It still felt weird to dress with Luffy in there.

Sanji prepared sandwiches for both and Luffy ate happily. He told him that he couldn’t get too tired at work because they had to explore the whole city at the night. He smiled upon hearing that and nodded because the simple idea that he would get to see pretty ladies out there made him incredibly excited. He wanted the whole day to pass by fast and he knew he would get distracted with ease, but he had to be strong and wait patiently.

He said goodbye to Luffy that was going to the river with Bacon so it could eat some lovebirds. Of course Sanji told him that it couldn’t do that to the birds and Luffy pouted and he had the impression that even Bacon had the same expression on its face. It was a strange cat just like its owner.

He went down to the restaurant and waited for the other cooks. When they arrived he received them with a smile and Christina told him that he looked really happy that day. He said that the day was going to be a good one and Christina asked him why he felt that way. He said that it was because he would go out with Luffy to the city at night and she made a surprised face, but then smiled too, like she understood what was going on or what they were planning to do.

Sanji was in such a good mood that he didn’t scold too harshly the cook named Pierre for almost burning a pan. He didn’t threaten to fire John for staying longer in the staff room for his break and he didn’t yell at young Mariano for falling with some plates. He didn’t care if the old lady cook called Julia got some recipes wrong for not hearing well the costumers’ orders and other things like that only added up to the way everyone was staring at him. He wasn’t even freaked out by their looks and he continued cooking happily. He even hummed a song at some point.

When lunch time came, Luffy appeared asking (yelling) for a meal, but he had prepared one already and went to eat with him. Luffy also noticed that he was in a good mood and he said that he really liked that. After they ate Luffy went to explore the forest again with Bacon and he kept cooking and preparing things that needed to be taken care of in the restaurant.

The whole day went by after all and when every costumer had left he almost rushed the staff outside to their homes so he could finally go with Luffy. Sanji got entertained looks from the staff, but he seriously didn’t care what they thought of him so when he had everything ready he went upstairs where Luffy was waiting for him and played with Bacon. He prepared a quick dinner for them and then said that he would shower, but Luffy didn’t understand why he wanted to bathe.

Sanji told him that he would flirt with every lady in town and he couldn’t stink. He also told him to do the same since he couldn’t smell bad if he was going with him. Luffy didn’t like the idea too much, but he almost pleaded and Luffy gave up. He showered first and took a good time in doing so and Luffy started yelling at him to get out. Then it was Luffy’s turn and he didn’t spend even half of the time he used, so when both were fully dressed he sniffed at Luffy to check if he wasn’t stinking.  

Luffy said he was being way too weird, but he only commented that he smelled to soap and that it was good enough for the night. Sanji went to prepare in the bathroom his looks for the night. He combed his hair in a way that he knew looked nice and he brushed his teeth for the third time. He put on perfume and arranged his tie meticulously. When he was ready, Luffy that was in the living room with Bacon commented that he looked great that day and he smiled at him because he knew it, but it was good to hear it from someone else even if it was just a man.

When they were going outside the house Sanji noticed that Luffy still carried Bacon with him. He told him that he had to leave the cat in the house, but he said that it would get bored without them there. He insisted in that he couldn’t bring it with them, but Luffy persisted in saying the contrary and when things were taking a turn for the worst, Bacon jumped on Sanji’s arms. It stared at him with kitten eyes while Luffy imitated it and he gave up. Damn it, they were so annoying. He looked at the cat again and he realized that women liked cute pets in general so that could work in his favor. He handed it to Luffy and told him that Bacon had to behave that night.

Luffy exclaimed happily that he would and with that they started their way to the city. Luffy had commented that the fair he had gone with John was still there so it would be fun to see if the place had things to eat. Sanji didn’t care one bit about the food, but Luffy and Bacon were accompanying him so they had to have fun too.

When they arrived at the place Luffy went directly to the food stands and asked him for money, which he handed him kind of annoyed, but he didn’t want to start any problem that night so he didn’t say anything at the end. Luffy offered him some takoyaki, but he refused because he needed his breath fresh that day. Luffy ate everything and didn’t give any piece of the octopus to poor Bacon that cried because it didn’t have food.

Sanji felt bad for the cat, but he wasn’t really going to spend more money than that on any of them so he kept quiet and started searching for ladies. He saw three women in a stand that were playing to knock some milk bottles with tennis balls. Those games always had prizes for the winner so they probably wanted something and since they were clearly losing if he appeared and won for them he would become a hero.

Content with that idea Sanji went to the place where the women were and introduced himself and said that he had noticed that they were having troubles and wanted to help them. The women didn’t seem to care about him at all and instead focused on Luffy or, more specifically, in Bacon that according to them looked too cute. They asked Luffy if it was his cat and he nodded with a smile. They also asked what its name was.

“His name is Bacon and he’s our cat. He lives with us in a big house next to Sanji’s restaurant,” Luffy said with a grin to the women.

Sanji let pass the “our cat” because it was only Luffy’s, but he noticed that Luffy was trying to make them pay attention to him too. For some reason it didn’t work at all and they only petted Bacon and after that they left them alone. Sanji felt miserable at the obvious rejection, but Luffy cheered him up saying that they would look for tons of ladies for him that night. He almost wanted to hug him because he was such a nice friend. Back in the day he wouldn’t have cared at all if he suffered for this kind of thing, but now he had his back on this and he felt grateful.

Sanji kept looking for pretty ladies and tried to impress them and flirt with some, but luck wasn’t with him that day. Some women approached them for Bacon, but they only paid attention to it and now he regretted ever bringing the cat. He changed strategy and he was the one holding it so women could also notice him. Sadly, it didn’t work at all and just as before they only noticed Bacon like he was invisible to them.

He felt sad and asked Luffy if he looked bad that day and that he could be honest with him, but Luffy said that he thought he looked great that day and women were being stupid. He scolded him because he couldn’t use those words towards females in his presence, but Luffy just laughed and said that he would do it when he wasn’t around and would tell every lady in the city that they were dumb for not liking him. He scolded him again and Luffy began to run away from him while he tried to catch him.

They ran around the fair for some time and he laughed while chasing Luffy. He couldn’t deny that even if he had been rejected many times he was still having a good time with the captain. Sanji felt like back when they were navigating around the world and all they had to do in the ship with no sight of land in view was to run around. It reminded him of the times he had to chase Luffy after he stole something from the kitchen or ate without his permission or didn’t have any manners while eating.

At some point Luffy stopped and he finally caught him, though he didn’t do anything and they only laughed. He felt better than before and bought some food for Luffy and Bacon. He didn’t get anything for himself as he still had hopes that someone would actually like him back so he waited until Luffy was done eating to keep searching for women.

Since the fair was pretty big he knew that they wouldn’t be able to walk around all of it in one night. There were many games in the place, but Luffy hadn’t said anything in particular about wanting to play. That was strange since there were a lot of games he knew that Luffy would love to play at least once, if not staying there the whole night. He asked Luffy about this as he found it odd from him.

“Hey, Luffy, why haven’t you played any games yet? You have only eaten food. Aren’t you bored?”

He shook his head and said, “I’m not, really. Also, I want to accompany you while you flirt with women ’cause you look funny.”

Luffy laughed and he could see how even Bacon had a cheeky grin, which was weird considering it was a bloody cat after all.

“You think you are really funny, right? Keep laughing, but if you want to do something more interesting just tell me, okay?” Sanji said because he still thought it was strange that Luffy didn’t want to play anything. The fair had a Ferris wheel and a small roller coaster so it was almost unfamiliar that he didn’t want to play.

“I already played a lot of games when I came with John so for now I just want to be with you. Food is good enough if you want me to have fun!” He said with a smile and he only rolled his eyes.

Something caught Sanji’s attention then and he asked, “You not over that guy yet, Luffy? ’Cause it almost sounds like you don’t want to play anything because it reminds you of him.”

Luffy shook his head with a small smile and said, “I don’t even think about him that way anymore so don’t worry. I only want to be with you for now. If you want to play we can try, though the lines are kinda long now that I see.”

Sanji felt that strange sensation in his heart again, but he preferred to forget about it and continue looking for women. It seemed he was a pest that day and no pretty lady paid attention to him. He felt like going home already, but Luffy had actually accompanied him the whole time even if he said it was only to laugh about his flirting. Sanji thought he actually didn’t want to leave him alone as he had said yesterday that he feared that, so it was probable he didn’t wish to tell him that as it could offend him. It seriously wouldn’t, but Luffy sometimes thought differently than him.

Seeing that the night wasn’t going to get better anyway he told Luffy that he wanted to try some games if he didn’t mind. Luffy jumped happily and it became obvious that it was all he had wanted to do the whole night. Sanji almost rolled his eyes, but he didn’t because he didn’t want to give away that he had discovered Luffy’s real desire at the end.

He asked Luffy what games were good and he said that the Ferris wheel was really fun, but that too many people were waiting for it so it was better to play the games where the lines were shorter. They went to a water gun game and since they were good at aiming they won multiple times until the owner of the place asked them to leave. They didn’t want to, but the man offered to them bags and with that they accepted because they were carrying too many things and Luffy had Bacon on his arms.

At the end Luffy put Bacon on top his hat anyway, but the bags for the prizes were good. They continued walking around and Luffy pointed at a game he said he hadn’t played before. It was the “ring the bell” game and Sanji thought it would be fun so he followed Luffy to where he was going. He paid to play and Luffy took the mallet to hit the pivot. He took impulse, but he stopped him because he could destroy the whole place if he did it without care so with a pout Luffy just let the mallet fall.

It still hit the pivot strongly and the bell rang loudly. It seemed it was close to be destroyed even with that little show of strength, but Luffy was at that level of powerfulness now. The owner looked worried, but he still handed him the biggest prize. Sanji wanted to try too and the man gave him a scared look, but handed him the mallet anyway. He tried to be gentler than Luffy and made it seem like he was only touching the pivot with the end of the mallet. It still hit the pivot and the indicator went up high and the bell rang.

The owner gave him the prize and asked them to leave quickly because he didn’t want his business to go broke. His prize was a teddy bear and Luffy’s was a lighter so without saying anything they exchanged them. Then they walked to see what else they could play and Luffy wanted to play the dunk tank, but Sanji knew he would throw the ball too hard and the person in the seat would end up flying or something just as bad so he showed him the fishing pond that a stand had and Luffy got distracted easily.

It was amazing how much Luffy was enjoying himself now and it was breathtaking to notice how much he was actually holding back saying that he just wanted to accompany him before. Sanji didn’t comment on it though, as he had the impression it would create a weird atmosphere between them and they were having a good time.

When they were on their way to the fishing pond Luffy pointed at a stand with his finger. It read “kissing booth”, but Sanji didn’t understand what he was trying to tell him.

“What are you doing? Aren’t we going to fish?” He asked Luffy that continued to point at the stand.

“It’s a kissing booth! You can try your luck there!” Luffy exclaimed and laughed loudly.

For his part Sanji wanted to kill him. He hadn’t gone to the kissing booth because it didn’t have any pretty lady waiting there. Instead it had freaking goats there as a joke so Luffy only said it to annoy the living hell out of him. He was seriously thinking of kicking him in the spot.

“I’m not buying anything for you anymore! If you want to fish you’ll have to pay for your tickets!” He said and went to the fishing pond to get tickets only for himself.

Luffy protested that it was just a joke and that he was mean to him, but he bought one ticket without listening to him. It wasn’t like he really wanted to fish those stupid plastic fish anyway, but he did it only to annoy Luffy. The captain continued to protest behind him and that was really bothersome so Sanji decided he would give him the fishing rod at the end, but he wanted to tease him a little.

Sanji took the fishing rod and started to sway it with no clear direction while Luffy yelled at him to do it properly, but he kept moving the rod and the hook never touched the ring in the fish’s mouths. Luffy got exasperated and put himself behind Sanji to guide him towards the fish. He was startled by the sudden contact because Luffy put his arms over his and led him to a ring in one of the fish’s mouths. Just as fast as it happened Luffy got away after he caught a fish. 

The owner of the fish pond stand gave Sanji the prize for winning. It was a keychain of a cat trying to catch a fish. It was really cute, but he seriously didn’t need it and it was Luffy who had won it after all. He went to Luffy’s side and handed him the keychain. He didn’t accept it as he had a pout in his face. Sanji laughed and started playing with Bacon that took a liking to the keychain immediately. He put the thing in front of the cat’s eyes and it started to play with it.

In its eyes a curious shine could be seen and it reminded him of Luffy. Sanji kept playing with Bacon under the intense stare of Luffy that had the cat on his head. After some time he snatched the keychain from Sanji’s hands and took it to start playing with Bacon in his stead. He chuckled and asked Luffy if he wanted to do something else. It seemed he was happy again and he said that he wanted to eat. He rolled his eyes because he had lost count of the times Luffy had eaten that night.

Sanji still gave him money so he could buy something and he went to a hot dog stand with Bacon in his head. He stayed in his place when he noticed that someone was approaching him. It was a young man probably about his age that smiled at him. He gave him a puzzled look because he didn’t understand what this guy was about. The man kept smiling and told him that he was impressed by the amount of prizes he had won that night. He really didn’t get what was so interesting or surprising about that so he scowled at him.

The man put both hands in the air in a sign of peace as he wasn’t a threat. Of course he wasn’t one for he didn’t give off that vibe at all, but he didn’t want to interact with this person since he didn’t know him. Sanji was going to leave to Luffy’s side, but the man got in the way. He was about to get really mad, but the man smiled at him more widely and said that he only wanted to speak with him because he thought he was cool.

He didn’t know where this was going and wanted to call Luffy, but the guy insisted in that he only wanted to talk with him since he admired him a lot. That picked Sanji’s attention and he asked him if he knew how to cook or something because otherwise he didn’t see where that admiration came from. The man said that he didn’t know how to cook, but that Sanji could definitely teach him and that was when it clicked to him that this guy was actually hitting on him.

It wasn’t the first time this happened to him as he always called men’s attention more than women’s for some cursed reason. He went to Luffy’s side while the man followed him to where Luffy was. He wanted the guy off his case and fast and hoped that Luffy would understand the situation.

When Luffy saw him he asked him why he had that face and he looked in the man’s direction. He wasn’t particularly annoying, but Sanji just didn’t want to speak with him. Luffy seemed confused and asked the man right away what he wanted with “his cook” and a frown formed on his face. The man said that he only wanted to speak with him since he thought he was cool and really cute and Sanji felt himself blush. It was so awkward to hear that coming from a man, but Luffy laughed loudly while nodding.

“Finally someone notices how great he is! I was getting tired that no one appreciated him. I thought he would be alone this night,” Luffy said with obvious joy for what was happening.

“If he wants he doesn’t have be alone anymore,” the man said with a dashing smile and Sanji hated the turn this was taking. The guy extended his hand to shake his and Luffy’s and added, “My name is Aaron, by the way. I already know your names so I don’t need to ask.”

Luffy shook Aaron’s hand with a smile and nudged him to do the same. Sanji rolled his eyes and shook the man’s hand with a frown. He hated this and he really couldn’t understand why Luffy was doing it. It was like he wanted him to flirt back with this dude, but that really wouldn’t work.

Aaron kept talking with Luffy and he remained quiet the whole while. It seemed this torture wasn’t going to end so he told Luffy that he was tired and that he needed to sleep. Luffy told him that he could wait a little and then Sanji pulled him away from the man to speak as privately as they could, given the circumstances.

Sanji eyed the man with suspicion in case he was listening to them and spoke to Luffy in a hushed tone.

“What are you doing? I’m not going to flirt with a guy!” He exclaimed and Luffy only smiled.

“Why not? He looks rather cute and he’s handsome too so I don’t see why you can’t. He is kinda persistent, but you’re like that with some women too,” Luffy told him with patience and he couldn’t believe this. Was Luffy even thinking right now?

“I don’t care if he’s handsome or cute. He’s a guy and he doesn’t have the lovely charms women have,” he said trying to make Luffy see the main problem there.

“Give him a chance! He doesn’t look bad and I bet he’s funny too.”

Sanji gave him a once over and he couldn’t deny that Aaron was really good looking unlike most men that tried to flirt with him because men usually were ugly except for some of them. The man was actually taller than him and he was lean but muscular. His face was his biggest charm though, as his green eyes combined with the shape of his face and the color of his red hair in an appealing way. Still, he didn’t want to get trapped in Luffy’s games so he refused.

Luffy then noticed that he was checking Aaron out and said, “See? You think he’s handsome too.”

He blushed a little since he didn’t want to be caught doing that and said, “That doesn’t matter here. I don’t want…”

He tried to tell Luffy, but he took his hand and led him back towards the man.

“My friend is really tired here, but he would love if you were to visit him. You know where his restaurant is at, right?” The man nodded with a smile.

He only shook his head, but for some reason he couldn’t say anything to stop Luffy. With that Luffy continued to hold his hand and waved Aaron goodbye. Sanji did the same without really understanding why. He was too lost and confused because Luffy had just invited a guy to his restaurant to see him, as if he had any interest in him when it wasn’t like that at all.

When they were away from the fair Luffy let go of his hand and he almost didn’t notice. Sanji stayed quiet the whole way to his house and he wasn’t even mad as one would think he would be. He was just astonished and he didn’t have his mind in place to articulate what was going on and what he thought. Sanji kept walking in silence and before he noticed they were upstairs in his house. He let the prizes he had won that day on one of the couches and sat there without saying anything.

Some time passed and Luffy was waving his hand in front of his eyes. That made him focus and he could finally say, “What the hell did you just do?”

“You don’t even look mad so it’s worse than what I thought. It would be better if you kicked me or scolded me for doing this, but you’re so calm that is scaring me and Bacon.” Luffy held Bacon away from him and both looked afraid.

Sanji rolled his eyes, but just as Luffy had said he wasn’t mad and it was obvious to expect that. The only thing he did feel was some sort of nervousness that he didn’t understand why or what provoked it. Maybe he felt that way because Luffy had done probably the most outrageous thing he had ever done to him and even if he looked tranquil, in the inside he was totally freaking out.

“I’m just so surprised that you did this, Luffy. Why do you think it’s a good idea to invite over some dude I don’t even know to the restaurant?” He looked at him with seriousness.

“I thought that some changes could be good for you. I probably overstep some limits, but I really want you to consider more options. I have seen the way men look at you. For some reason they like you better than women,” Luffy said trying to convince him, but he really didn’t want to get caught in his ideas.

He still blushed at what he was saying. Sanji had also noticed that men looked at him with a lot more attention than women, but he never responded back to their advances. It wasn’t like women hated him or that he never hooked up with any, but if he was honest guys just seemed to approach him a lot more than the pretty ladies he loved so much. That still didn’t mean he wanted to try or “consider more options” as Luffy had said because he didn’t see them like that.

“Well, it’s good that you know it because you really did. Also, I do know that dudes like to flirt with me more than beautiful women, but that doesn’t mean I want something with them. I’m not that desperate and guys aren’t interesting or cute,” he said and he hoped Luffy would see his point of view.

Luffy frowned and said, “So I’m also a part of that group just because I’m a man? Do you think I’m not interesting or cute?”

He looked so offended and Sanji felt the responsibility to clarify things to him. “You’re different! You aren’t a random dude I met at a fair or a bar. You’re my captain and I know you a lot so I know that you’re interesting, cute and really cool. I don’t see you that way either, but you’re those things that most guys just aren’t.”

Sanji said with a smile and in the back of his head it registered that he had called Luffy cute, but since he had grinned widely at him he couldn’t focus on that thought and forgot all about it soon. He paid attention back to what Luffy was saying.

“Thanks! I think the same about you too. But now back on topic, I think that if you gave some guys the chance maybe they could surprise you. If you don’t like it you can turn them down and continue flirting with women. I’ll help you with anyone you want to be,” Luffy said with a smile and he felt grateful for having such a great captain by his side.

Sanji surrendered because Luffy always had a way of convincing people that he only wanted the best for them and it was moving and touching. Luffy had a special power inside of him that made him put people on his side and support him. That was what had driven Sanji to Luffy when he first started the journey for his dreams and that was what made him stay and follow him whenever he wished and do whatever stupid whim he had. He was weak like that, but he didn’t find it in himself to get bothered by that thought and so he just accepted Luffy’s proposal.

“Okay, I’ll do it, but if this doesn’t work or if I hate it I won’t prepare any meat for you in a whole week, you hear me?” Luffy made a face that he feared the idea more than death itself and he felt better because at least he still had that against him.

Sanji went to prepare food for him because now he was starving. He also made something for Luffy because he kept pestering him over being incredibly hungry, like he hadn’t eaten in the fair at all. They ate and talked about the things they would do the next day. When they were done Luffy washed the dishes and he went to change into his pajamas and brush his teeth. After that he lay on his bed completely exhausted and the tiredness from the whole day and night caught up to him.

He let the lights on because he knew that Luffy would sleep with him and Bacon. Luffy changed into his pajamas and lay on the bed with him. Bacon climbed on its own and stayed on the end of the bed. Luffy tried to get it closer to them, but it remained there. At the end Luffy gave up and put the covers over him. Sanji felt that he got close to him and he said that it wasn’t necessary for him to hug him that night because he felt good.

Luffy still got closer and said, “But now I want to hug you. You don’t want that?”

His heart skipped a beat and it felt like it almost jumped out of his ribcage. Sanji didn’t know what to say so he only asked Luffy if he felt sad or something, but he shook his head and waited for his answer.

He took a deep breath and said, “Okay, do whatever you want.”

The captain finally reached for him and put both arms around him. He held him softly, but he still feared that he would notice the strong beating of his heart. It felt strange to have someone that close while his heart acted that way, but the tiredness won over anything he could think about and he drifted off to sleep soon, without really understanding why he allowed Luffy to snuggle him or why his beats ran so fast that his blood pumped so wildly in his veins it seemed alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be posted on Sunday like I normally have been doing so I hope you guys like it too!  
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy go to the All Blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I tried to post a fic for Sanji's birthday but I didn' have any good idea and I just couldn't write anything either. I could have tried to post the new chapter yesterday, but things don't go too well here for him so it's better this way at the end lol  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this chapter!

13.

 

The guy that Luffy had invited over the restaurant hadn’t come in the whole week to see him and Sanji felt relieved by it since everything was too different compared with women, but he also couldn’t hide the fact that he was disappointed. That only reflected how desperate he was to be with someone because it couldn’t be that he felt kind of sad that the man hadn’t come. He blamed it on Luffy that tried to make him see more options, but not even that worked. He should be happy and yet it still didn’t settle well with him that no one liked him.

As always Luffy noticed that his mood wasn’t that good and apologized for creating him illusions with that guy. Sanji told him that he didn’t have any “illusion” with that man and hid that more than anything he just hated being ignored because now not only women rejected him, guys were also mixed there. Luffy didn’t buy any of what he said because he knew him too well and told him that whenever he saw the man he would kick him in the ass for not coming to see him.

It was nice that Luffy cared so much about him, but he didn’t want to tell him that as he opted to cover that the situation had bothered him even if Luffy knew of this. Since he wasn’t feeling that great, but not as bad as when he had been really sad the other days, Luffy tried to help him with various things. He did every chore in the house, though Sanji had told him already that it wasn’t necessary. Luffy had even sold one of the treasures he still had to get money so he wouldn’t have to spend so much on him. When Sanji found out about it he told him to get it back because those were special, but Luffy had said that he had spent most of the money he had on food anyway and if it was to help him then it was more meaningful.

It was true that Luffy had spent most of the treasure he had on food, but the pieces he had chosen to sell weren’t important and the rare or special ones remained with him and even if he didn’t have much money Sanji would never tell him to sell them. At the end he couldn’t make him change his opinion and he hated that Luffy had done that for him and only because he felt dejected for being alone. He wished he could recuperate the treasure, but Luffy had said that it was impossible since the buyer had been a tourist and had left.

For that reason he started to at least try to look better and think more positively. Sanji prepared special meals for Luffy every day because he felt guilty and he didn’t know if Luffy noticed what he was doing, but since it was good food he wouldn’t turn it down. Everyone in the restaurant noticed that he was cooking better things for Luffy and stupid obnoxious John just had to comment that he also wanted to be treated to the good meals Luffy was receiving. He only did it to annoy him or tease him, but Sanji hadn’t said anything apart from sending him to work.

That way even if people noticed that Sanji wasn’t feeling that well, he still did everything in his hands to pretend that it wasn’t like that. He focused on working and tried his hardest to show that he had everything in control. He definitely wasn’t at the level like the last week where he felt pathetic and so sad it was almost unbearable. This time Sanji felt embarrassed because it sucked that he had expected for a man to come see him. He should have known better and for that reason he decided to go to the All Blue to put behind any doubts that he felt bad.

Sanji had started preparations last Sunday and he was going to leave with Luffy that day, a Thursday. He had put in charge of the restaurant Christina that was the perfect combination of responsible and easygoing so that mixed well in making her a good leader. He had told her that if anything happened she had to call him since he had gotten a den den mushi, though he knew that at some point it wouldn’t work, but more than anything he wouldn’t stay too long in the place and it was the journey itself what would be prolonged.

He had taken care of buying everything so he had nothing to worry about, but he still felt rather restless of leaving the restaurant alone with him not watching over. Seeing how he was, Luffy had offered to stay and be in charge of the whole place, house included, and Sanji had a premonition where he could totally see the two-stores building burning so he knew that Christina was the best option and that he had to go or Luffy would think that his idea was good.

Bacon was going with them since the cat couldn’t stay alone on the house. Sanji wasn’t too sure if it would like the ocean or the ship, but they had no other option. John had offered to take care of Bacon in their absence, but there was no way in hell Sanji would let John enter his house unsupervised so he refused and with that they prepared everything for the trip.

They readied clothes for a whole week as the journey took six days, but in the sea it could rain or they could get dirty so they preferred to take more than what was necessary. They packaged food for a week too with Bacon’s cat food there. They brought other important things like candles in case the power got cut off and some games to play in the night like cards.

With that they had everything ready for their departure early that day and Luffy loosened the moorings that held the ship to the port and left when the sun wasn’t too high in the sky as it was only eight in the morning. After they had left the waters that surrounded the island Sanji put out a regular compass as log poses weren’t needed anymore in the Grand Line.

It was more difficult to get to some places this way, but he trusted in his dear Nami’s maps so he was sure they would be going in the right direction. Since that day the sea was calm he thought they wouldn’t have much problem arriving where the All Blue was and he knew that if they anchored the ship for some time he would be able to cook something for Luffy and him.

Sanji could see that Luffy was sleeping next to the rails of the ship with Bacon in his lap and his hat on top of his face. He was so relaxed and he was probably sleepy from having to wake up too early that day so he left him alone, but seeing him resting made Sanji drowsy too, though he knew he couldn’t go to lie on whatever place since they could end up lost or crushing something.

He tried to focus back on steering the wheel and when the ship could finally go on its own he went to sit down next to Luffy. Bacon, that was also sleeping, woke up and looked at him until it moved from Luffy’s lap and seated on top of him. The cat purred happily while Sanji petted it. Then Luffy seemed to search something even if he was still sleeping and ended hugging Sanji by the side.

Sanji had grown somehow used to Luffy hugging him while sleeping that he seriously didn’t care anymore even if the sensation was still new and fresh. He actually welcomed the contact since it was warm and it gave him a nice feeling. That way he was happy to just have Luffy there with him and no problems invaded his mind. This journey had been a good idea.

………………………………

Sadly for Sanji, while the trip had been a good idea, the journey hadn’t been easy or calm like he had predicted and hoped. The sea turned stormy in their second day of travel and only when they had arrived at the proximities of the All Blue the sun could be seen again. It had been arduous for both, but thankfully the rain and the strong winds only lasted for a day. However, the most difficult part would begin now that they were about to enter through the passage that led to the All Blue.

The thing with the All Blue was that it was inside of an island that contained it. Mora than anything, Sanji couldn’t really say it was an island as they were more mountains that rose up high and they formed a big circle that had the All Blue inside of them, hiding it from the rest of the world. No one really knew how to get there and the passage didn’t appear to anyone either. A simple solution was to climb the mountains, but they were so big that it was impossible to reach the top and for some reason when anyone tried that, it seemed they grew bigger and couldn’t be climbed at all. It was only an optic illusion, though.

As things were like that, the only path was to use the passage and thankfully it did appear for him. It was only visible for a few travelers that knew about the secret location and so had gone there, but after centuries he was the only that was permitted of entering. The crew was allowed too, but only if he came along otherwise they couldn’t get inside the waters of the All Blue even if they knew about the passage, but it just wouldn’t open up for them because the guardian wouldn’t let them get in.

The guardian took care that no one knew about the actual location of the All Blue for the main reason that the species could be overexploited and it could lead to the extinction of them. The fish, seaweed, crustaceans and the many types of other species that lived there were remainders of when the oceans and the earth were different so they were unique and scarce, making it a crime to be extinguished by ambitious humans.

When Sanji had met the guardian he had to prove that he wasn’t going to overexploit the products the All Blue provided him and he would only use some of the species to prepare exquisite food because that was his dream, but that he would use the ingredients wisely like the people before he had done.

The guardian hadn’t seemed too convinced by it, but had given him a test to see if he was worthy of his word and was as skilled as he said he was. It had been difficult to overcome what the guardian had asked of him, but he had succeeded in making the guardian trust him. The guardian was so amazed by his abilities that they told him that it was the first time in more than one thousand years that they had tasted something so good.

Even with that the guardian had their qualms about actually letting him enter the place since some other good chefs had said similar things, but had ended betraying their words and took advantage of the All Blue. The guardian had told him that they needed to see Sanji was good, but he didn’t know how to prove that so Luffy had talked with the guardian (he actually yelled) that they had to let him enter because he was a really good man.

Luffy had started saying every good thing he had done for him, the crew and some other people. It had seemed like Luffy remembered every detail of them, like he was keeping them stored in his mind and everyone was surprised about that. The guardian took a liking to Luffy’s impulsiveness and decided that if someone was willing to start yelling so many good things about someone else then it must have been for a good reason.

So, thanks to Luffy, Sanji had been able to enter and find the All Blue like he had dreamed his whole life. The only matter that was troubling was that Sanji couldn’t tell anyone that he had found it and he had accepted, but Luffy once again meddled in and stated that no one would know of the All Blue’s location through any of them and the guardian had laughed loudly, but said that it was not negotiable and that he either accepted or he would miss his chance.

Of course Sanji had accepted so at the end he did see the All Blue, but since the crew still had to find the One Piece he couldn’t cook anything with the fish. He had told the guardian that he would come back soon to prepare something good for everyone. And Sanji had been happy about that so he wasn’t expecting that when he came back with the crew the guardian would tell him that he could talk about the All Blue after seeing that the Straw hats had found the One Piece and thus had changed the whole world with it.

The only three conditions that remained were that he couldn’t speak about the secret passage, the exact place where the All Blue was located and that he could only bring the crew but that they couldn’t come alone. Nevertheless, even if the latitude was discovered it wasn’t that much of a deal as it was impossible to break through.

When they were closer to the passage Bacon came out of the bedroom and observed with attention everything there was to take. The mountains were colossal and no flora bloomed in them so it was really plain, like telling people that the place was boring and it was not worth the try, like deceiving everyone and hiding from the public eye with ease.

After they encountered the passage Sanji called loudly for the guardian since it had to appear before them so they could actually see the path that was in the middle of the mountains.

“Miro, come out!” Sanji had learned the name of the guardian beforehand from an old man that knew about the secrets of the All Blue when they were still searching for the place. If the name wasn’t called out the guardian didn’t appear and the passage wasn’t visible either. That was the trick to discover the All Blue after all.

Not long passed before a huge turquoise figure appeared in front of them with fog surrounding their body, imposing respect. It was hard to describe, but the creature that wasn’t human in any way, was majestic and if Sanji or Luffy were weaker they would be scared. Sanji looked at Bacon in case it had gotten scared, but the cat only observed with attention and it seemed it was really interested. It almost reminded Sanji of Luffy.

“You are back, Sanji?” Miro looked at him through red eyes and then seemed to notice that Luffy was there too. “And your little talkative friend is here too!”

Luffy smiled at the guardian and waved a hand happily as if they were the best of friends. Luffy then picked Bacon in his arms and asked if it was okay to bring it inside. Miro only shrugged and said that it was fine.

Then Miro said, “I take it you have come to get some things, right? You can come if you want.”

With that they snapped their fingers and the rocks began separating making a way towards the waters of the All Blue with a deafening sound. Once the path was formed and nothing was interfering between their goals they steered the wheel to enter the place and Miro remained at the entrance to watch for any intruders.

The passage itself wasn’t that important, but when the water turned more blue, more turquoise, more indigo, more midnight blue, more cerulean and every other type of blue that Sanji couldn’t pinpoint, close to the beginning of the All Blue, it was there that the magic commenced.

The water was a combination of every type of blue that existed, as if the whole color palette for blue was there, radiating in the calmest of ways. The fog that covered the sea was special and it gave a mysterious feeling to the whole place. The fish couldn’t be seen since they were deeply into the ocean, but that didn’t matter to Sanji.

The extension of the All Blue wasn’t really big considering it was a sea and comparing it to its counterparts that were the other Blues and the Grand Line, but it was still a thundering place. The mountains that surrounded the waters here were different and trees and flowers grew on top of them. No animals, except for the fish and the others species, lived there, but everything was so perfect like that.

The thing that was difficult though was to actually navigate to secure a good spot to fish. Since the temperatures of the waters differed from place to place some whirlpools formed and wind blew strongly too. With Nami’s help it had been easy to fish, but now that he was alone with Luffy it would take them more time.

They had to be cautious too since the temperatures not only differed greatly, but they were also extreme so a fall to the water could be deadly. The one reason why the fish didn’t die in such a hard place was because they were used to this kind of environment since that had always been how they lived, but Sanji, Luffy and Bacon weren’t so Sanji told Luffy to watch over Bacon to keep it safe and he understood and took the cat in his arms.

Sanji started to navigate with difficulty through the waters trying to find a good spot to fish. It was really hard to guide the ship in this ocean, but even like that the way his heart beat made it impossible to hide the huge smile he had in his face. When he finally got closer to the mountains he anchored the ship. It couldn’t be too close to the mountains since there were some rocks that could damage the ship, but close enough was good since the whirlpools usually formed in the center of the waters.

Sanji then went to look for a fishing rod and when he was ready he came back to fish. He had expected for Luffy to ask him for a fishing rod for him too, but since this sea was difficult and dangerous it seemed he understood that they had to be careful and it wasn’t a normal field day on the beach. Sanji was grateful for that and started fishing.

If there was one thing that was great about the All Blue was that the fish practically threw themselves to the hook and it certainly made things easier for him as he didn’t need to spend that much time there even if he loved this ocean with his whole soul. Miro had told Sanji that the fish liked the baits since they were normally worms that didn’t exist when they roamed freely and before their world was crushed leaving them with no place to live. If the fish lived in other seas they would die so they had no other choice but keep living here in this unknown and eerie but fantastic dream.

Since to catch fish didn’t take much effort Sanji considered the amount of them was enough when he caught sixty after two hours. He knew he couldn’t bring with him more than that and he would seize their qualities to enhance the flavor of every dish he knew and that he had created as an innovation with the ones he had acquired.

Sanji also made Luffy pull out a net to catch some crustaceans and other types of species. That would take longer so they would have to wait for some time, being mindful of their security. Nevertheless, it was proving to be difficult to maintain the danger away as it was hard to see in even two meters away from their point of view because fog had gotten heavier around them and the currents had suddenly gotten faster. Sanji asked Luffy to remain close to him with Bacon since it wasn’t easy to see him.

Luffy tried to get closer to him, but Sanji could see how he was struggling to walk because of the slippery floor the fog had provoked and how the currents rocked the ship. He told Luffy hurriedly that he had to stay in his place, but it was already too late. Since Luffy was close to the rails looking over the net that hang from there, he slid off to the side and was about to fall so Sanji cut the distance fast and pushed Luffy so he wouldn’t fall. That way it was Sanji who lost balance and fell, but at least Luffy was still up there.

When his body touched the water he felt freezing. It was too cold and it just had to be his luck that he had ended in this side of the water and not in the hot ones since he could handle the heat much better. This water was almost -5 C (23 F) and the only reason it didn’t freeze was because the hot water next to it melted the ice. He didn’t even have time to react and use Diable Jambe as he usually would to keep himself warm and thankfully it wasn’t necessary either as he felt how arms grabbed him.

He got up back to the deck rapidly with Luffy screaming and asking if he was alright and Bacon mewing loudly as if showing its own type of worry. Sanji couldn’t respond since he was shaking too much and he knew that one more second there could have meant his death. He preferred to focus on regaining heat so he used Diable Jambe to envelop his legs with fire.

It was working while Luffy told him something he couldn’t understand. Bacon was on his lap trying to keep him warm and after a while he could regain sensation in his limbs and hands for they almost seemed frozen. Sanji was at the point where even his brain seemed to be frozen so he didn’t understand where Luffy had gone to after he had spoken to him. When he came back, Luffy brought as much clothes as he could with him and helped Sanji take the wet clothes that didn’t allow him to get properly warm.

Then Luffy helped Sanji again to put on the clothes and he had even brought the blankets from the bed to keep him warm. He covered him with them and after a while he was able to move more freely. Sanji saw how his hands were blue and almost purple so he started clapping to regain heat since he was getting scared of losing them, but Luffy told him to stop doing that since that wasn’t good for them and made him keep them together in the air and he enveloped them with his own hands.

It definitely was better and Luffy blew warm breath on Sanji’s hands carefully. His legs were much better than his upper body and when Sanji could think well he moved his hands towards the fire in his legs. That way his stance started to relax and he stopped shaking. Luffy remained there and said that they should go inside, but Sanji refused and told him that he could fall if he wasn’t careful with the fog and the way the currents moved the ship and that it was a miracle he hadn’t before when he went to look for clothes.

Luffy said that he had to dry his hair since it was frosted, but Sanji told him that with the heat he was producing it was enough. Then Luffy took his hands and got closer to him to hug him with care. Sanji welcomed the much needed warmness and hugged back but with more force and let himself calm down.

Sanji didn’t know how long it passed by, but when his hair wasn’t covered in ice he stopped using Diable Jambe. He separated from Luffy and he could finally see that the fog was away and the sun could actually be seen. He felt glad for it since that meant they could move more safely in the ship.

Luffy wanted him to go inside, but Sanji knew that they had to leave when they were fine otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get out in those unruly weather conditions if something happened to them. With Nami and the crew it had been so much easier getting there and fishing that Sanji almost wanted to cry because he really missed them.

He told Luffy to pull the net back and that it didn’t matter if it didn’t have anything. Luckily for him there was a good amount of several species and he felt more hopeful so he steered the wheel and navigated the ship back to the passage and away from the fog. The All Blue was dangerous, but he would be lying if he said he wouldn’t come back time and time again.

When they got outside the passage Miro, that was guarding the entrance, appeared in the ship and asked them why they were leaving so soon and Sanji told him that he had fallen into the water. Miro grimaced and said that he should have called them since they could teleport through the whole place if they called for them. Sanji felt stupid for not thinking about it, but said that it was alright since nothing had happened.

The guardian gave him a wary look and said, “Where did you fall? In the hot or the cold waters?”

Sanji only shrugged and said, “In the cold water, but I insist that everything is fine now. I’m alive after all.”

Miro gave him the same look and said, “That doesn’t mean this won’t have repercussions. Take good care of your health.”

Luffy looked at him with worry, but he shook his head and told Miro that they were exaggerating. The guardian didn’t say much and then bid them farewell, but warned him again that he should be careful.

They started navigating through the calmer waters and in the easiness that was the normal sea, Sanji could finally really relax even when he noticed the looks Luffy was sending his way, filled with so much preoccupation he wanted to hide a little so he wouldn’t keep staring. He was fine and alive and there was nothing wrong at the moment so Sanji felt calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't too good in the next chapter for Sanji either, but they will get better soon, I promise!  
> Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is sick; Luffy takes care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! New chapter and I know this one was obvious, but I really liked it lol  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys enjoy it!

14.

 

Not even the sunset fell when Sanji began feeling sick. It was an incredibly difficult sensation for him to pinpoint because he had never felt sick before so he only noticed when Luffy told him that he had been coughing too much. His throat hurt and he felt a runny nose at some point too, but he seriously hadn’t thought much of it until Luffy told him that he thought he was sick.

Sanji had denied it since he never got sick as it just simply wasn’t normal on him, but Luffy instead told him to lie on the bed and that he would watch over the ship in his stead. Sanji didn’t listen to him and continued cooking something for both since he really didn’t feel that bad either, just a little bit strange or different but nothing too bad either.

When they were eating in the small dining room next to the kitchen his ship had, Luffy kept staring at him and sending him the same worried looks as in the afternoon. It was rather annoying to see Luffy being that way, so distracted of food, so Sanji told him to stop looking at him like that. Luffy stopped eating altogether and began speaking.

“Why are you blushing so much?” Luffy really seemed to be puzzled or surprised by what he was asking.

Sanji for his part really didn’t know what Luffy was saying so he said, “What are you talking about? I don’t even feel my cheeks hot.”

“Your face is all red, Sanji. You haven’t noticed it?” Luffy said and Sanji shook his head because he really hadn’t.

He was about to stand up to go to the bathroom to see his face in the mirror when Luffy stood up faster and approached him. Luffy put a hand to his face as if to check his temperature.

Luffy’s eyes widened upon touching his forehead and exclaimed, “Sanji, you are burning! I have never felt someone so hot before. You probably have a fever!”

Sanji touched his face and felt that it was hotter than usual but not that much either or at least he didn’t think it was so he told Luffy that he was exaggerating. Luffy moved his hand towards his left cheek and felt the apparent heat emanating from it once again.

This time as well he looked worried and said, “No, you definitely aren’t this hot when I touch you so I’m sure this isn’t normal. Just go to sleep, please.”

“Nah, I never get sick so there’s no way in hell I have a fever. Keep eating calmly, okay?” Sanji said to reassure Luffy that he felt well and completely fine.

Luffy scowled at him and said that he was being too stubborn and Sanji laughed because like Luffy was someone to tell him that anyway. The captain seemed annoyed by his attitude and continued eating without saying anything. Nevertheless, Luffy finished his dinner quickly and he didn’t wait until Sanji was done and started washing the pans and utensils he had used when cooking. Sanji gave him an incredulous look, but Luffy only waited for him to be with done with his meal and when he was finally ready he washed the remaining crockery.

When Luffy had washed everything, Sanji was about to leave to watch over the ship in case they crashed into something, but Luffy stopped him from going outside. Sanji didn’t understand what he wanted, but Luffy led him to the bedroom and said that he should sleep for now and that he would really take care of everything. Sanji more than not liking the idea he thought it was unnecessary as he felt alright and only the pain in his throat was there, almost like he had been screaming.

There were also the coughs and the runny nose and he knew that those were usually indicators of sickness, but if they didn’t bother him that much then it meant he was fine, right? He didn’t feel the higher temperature Luffy had noticed either and perhaps his cheeks were red since he had been cooking.

With that train of thought he told Luffy that he didn’t need to do that as he felt well, but Luffy insisted in that even if it was like that he still wanted him to rest. Luffy insisted on that so much that at the end Sanji gave up and went to lie on the bed the room had. He put the covers over him under the strong and serious look Luffy was giving him, as if he would kick his ass for not listening to him.

When Sanji was under the blankets he told Luffy that he would be fine and Luffy said that if he felt badly or if he needed anything he had to call him. Sanji nodded and when Luffy left to the deck of the ship he rolled his eyes because, while he appreciated Luffy’s care, he still thought he was taking things out of proportion so he only lay there in the bed without doing anything as he had forgotten to bring a book to the room and he didn’t want to stand up since Luffy would get worried.

Sanji stayed watching the roof and then the walls of the room until he felt Bacon coming over to him. The cat went up the bed and stayed close to him by his side, but not in his lap like it normally would. Since he was bored he made a sign with his hand for the cat to sit in his lap, but it remained there seated next to him and it purred when he petted behind its ears. Other than that Bacon kept observing him and it was unnerving since it was like Luffy had sent the cat to look after him, which was a ridiculous thought, but Sanji had always gotten the feeling that Bacon actually understood their interactions.

He grew tired of watching the cat so Sanji petted Bacon absentmindedly while he stared at the roof once again. Then he got focused on the colors of the roof and the walls that were yellow. At some point he got fixated on a spot in the white roof and he couldn’t stop observing it for much that he tried. He noticed how he had stopped petting Bacon and he could listen to the cat mewing by his side like wanting the attention back to it, but he was transfixed on an invisible spot in the roof.

Sanji kept watching the roof for some undetermined time until he saw that whirlpools started forming in the white surface of the roof. He closed his eyes to regain focus, but when he opened them the image was the same so he looked elsewhere to the walls and they seemed to be normal until he saw how the one from his left started to fall over him.

He stood up instantly and tried to pick Bacon with him, but he couldn’t since he didn’t know where the cat was. Then the wall from behind the bed fell and he screamed scared that everything was falling apart when they were at sea. He tried to get out and when he was at the entrance of the room he saw Luffy at the door and asking worriedly what was going on. Since Sanji didn’t know what to say and he only knew that the walls were falling over them he screamed again at Luffy to run as he could get hurt, but that he didn’t know where Bacon was.

“Sanji, calm down. The walls are okay and really strong. Bacon is right there too. Why are you saying those things?” Luffy asked him and he didn’t know what to really say.

He was so confused because now he could actually see the cat, but the walls kept falling and the one to his right descended on them and he grabbed Luffy to keep him safe. When Luffy was closer to him Sanji saw how he touched his forehead again. He could kind of make out that Luffy was really worried by the look in his face.

“Now you’re burning! It’s even worse than before. What the fuck?” Luffy cursed under his breath and then guided him back to the bed, but Sanji really didn’t want to as the walls could fall again.

“The walls will fall, Luffy! It’s not safe here anymore,” Sanji said and his throat hurt so much that he had to cough to relieve the pain.

“It is safe, so trust me, please! The walls are in place and firm. Nothing wrong with them, you see?” Luffy knocked the wood while helping him back to the bed and Sanji was so afraid that they might fall that he jumped from the bed again. Luffy pushed him back to the bed and said, “Don’t worry about the walls. I give you my word that they won’t fall. Trust me on this, okay?”

Sanji tried to focus on Luffy’s face, but the whirlpools in the roof were making it hard so he closed his eyes. Luffy told him again the same thing and by the feeling of his voice and only because he trusted him so much he nodded and lay totally in the bed.

“I’m not too sure about what’s going on, but I will fix it. I promise! I think you have a fever now, but I’ll help you somehow, so for now just close your eyes,” Luffy said and he was feeling calmer again.

He closed his eyes and after a while he heard as Luffy left and Sanji asked him to stay since he felt too scared. Luffy told him to keep his eyes closed since he was trying to open them. He said that he would bring something to cool him down. He really didn’t want him to leave him alone, but Luffy reassured him again that he would come back soon. As Sanji trusted him so much and almost blindly he accepted and then he heard as Luffy went outside the room.

He didn’t know how long it went by, but he noticed that Luffy was back when he opened his eyes. He saw that he had brought some rags and a big bowl with water. Luffy asked him again to close his eyes and he did it fast since he was seeing the whirlpools. Sanji heard the sound of the water and he wasn’t sure what Luffy was trying, but he understood when he felt a wet rag in his forehead. It was really cool compared to his skin, but it was a nice sensation.

Sanji didn’t know if he had a fever since he didn’t feel that different from inside, but when he touched his right cheek with his hand he noticed that what Luffy had said was probably true since it was like he was burning. He had never felt his skin that hot so he guessed that Luffy had been right about this whole thing and he was seeing things that weren’t happening because of the high temperature.

Luffy changed the rag quickly and he didn’t understand why that was so he asked him and he said that it was because the rag got too hot in a short time. He kept doing the same and then he told Sanji that he would change the water for a new one, but that he would be back soon. Sanji nodded, but he didn’t know if Luffy even saw him.

When Luffy was back he began the same process he had been doing before and applied wet rags to Sanji’s forehead while he remained with his eyes closed. That lasted for some time, but Sanji wasn’t feeling any better and instead he began shaking, his body feeling like when he was in the cold waters of the All Blue again. Luffy asked him why he was shaking, but Sanji was more worried about something else. Sanji opened his eyes to see if his hands were blue and purple like when he had fallen as he was scared they would really fall this time, but Luffy told him to close his eyes again.

Sanji did close his eyes as he was afraid the walls would begin falling again, but he kept shaking as if his whole body was cold. “It’s too cold, Luffy. I don’t need the rags anymore. I think you overdid it with the water.”

Luffy looked puzzled and touched his forehead like the other times. “You are still burning and I think it’s even worse than before.”

Sanji got worried and wanted to open his eyes, but Luffy stopped him and told him that he would find a solution. He told him to wait like the other times and he put another rag in his forehead. Sanji pulled over the blankets closer to his body and he hoped that would make him feel better, but he actually felt much worse so he lay on his side and curled, bringing with him the more quantity of clothes that he could. Apparently, all that provoked was to make him sweat so he really didn’t know what to do.

While he trembled he heard Luffy speaking with someone, but he wasn’t sure who it was on the other side of the line. He focused on the conversation to distract his mind from the coldness.

“His skin feels really hot under the touch and he’s shivering a lot. He says he’s cold, but he’s still very warm. What should I do?” Luffy asked someone who Sanji couldn’t recognize and he seriously hoped it was Chopper since he knew he was the only one that could help them.

“What’s his temperature?” The husky voice of a man said and he could quite make out who it was, but he wasn’t too sure.

“Really high, but I already told you that,” Luffy said and the phrase had a questioning tone.

“I’m talking about numbers here, not if it’s really high because you need a thermometer to know that. Do you even have one?” The same man said in a loud exclamation and it seemed he was getting angry at Luffy.

“What are those?”

“You are unbelievable. You and your crew have to be the weirdest people I have ever met!” Sanji now was completely sure it was Law that was speaking with Luffy through the den den mushi because there was no one else who thought of them that way.

“But what do you want us to do, Law? We have never gotten sick before so it’s a first. Just tell me what to do, okay?” Luffy told the man and even in his tired state Sanji could hear his frustration.

“I’ll ask him some things I need to know and then I’ll tell you what to do,” Law said and Sanji felt how Luffy got closer to him.

Law started asking if he was sweating and he said yes. He asked if his body hurt and he said that his throat hurt and was hoarse and that he felt a headache, but nothing too important. He also commented that he had a runny nose, but aside from that he didn’t recall anything else. Luffy told Law worriedly that Sanji had been saying some really weird things and Law said that it was probable he was having hallucinations caused by the fever. Law began asking again if he had drunk any water because he needed that immediately and he said that he had eaten before, but Law said that he needed more than that.

“Straw hat-ya, listen me out. You will have to take care of Blackleg-ya since he’s probably too out of it to really do something even if it’s just a common cold, but since it’s his first time and you are all weird it got intense, I guess.”

Then Law started again and said, “I take it that you don’t have paracetamol or even know what it is so you will have to apply lukewarm rags in Blackleg-ya, but they can’t be cold. They have to be lukewarm. Also, try to get him some light clothes, but don’t let his body exposed completely and cover him with just one blanket because you don’t want him to die of hypothermia like he could have done in the morning.”

“He had what? Is that serious? Is he gonna die?” Luffy asked rapidly without taking a breath.

“He didn’t die of it so he’s fine now even if he has a cold, but it’s nothing important. He has to rest and he will have to take tons of water, though. You have to make sure he keeps drinking water or he can get dehydrated and you don’t want that. If he loses conscience, call me,” Law said and with that the conversation was finished.

Luffy went to look for light clothes for him and when he had something he told Sanji to take out what he was wearing. Sanji really didn’t want that as he was still shaking and he felt cold, but since Law was a doctor he knew he had to do as told. He really didn’t understand why he was feeling so cold if he had a fever, but his throat hurt too much to voice that out and even if he did, Luffy wouldn’t know an answer so he remained quiet while Luffy helped him out of his clothes and put him lighter ones than the suit he was wearing.

Sanji had to keep his eyes closed the whole time and when he was in shorts and a t-shirt he pulled only one blanket over him as Law had instructed. After that Luffy went to the kitchen to get some warm water like Law had told him, but he reassured Sanji that he would be back in less than five minutes. Despite feeling like trash, he smiled because Luffy understood him so much and even if the irrational fear that the walls would fall was still lingering in his mind, he felt so secure next to the captain.

When Luffy was back again at the room he started putting wet rags, but with water that was warmer unlike the ones he had used before. Sanji didn’t know how that would work either, but he really trusted Law as a doctor so he preferred to keep his eyes closed and let the rags do their job.

The uncontrollable shaking had decreased after a while and now Sanji didn’t shiver anymore so even his headache was going away. He was still sweating a little, but a lot less like when he had the four blankets covering him. The pain in his throat remained, but he guessed it would pass after a while.

Luffy had been next to him the whole time seated in a chair with Bacon in his lap. He had to change the rags with less frequency this time with the warmer water since he didn’t know when they were too hot to reduce the temperature. At first he had been rather lost about the whole thing, but he seemed to gain confidence after seeing that he was feeling better. Now that Sanji wasn’t shaking he didn’t know what Luffy could be doing since he had stayed quiet the entire time and he still had his eyes closed.

Not long passed when he heard Luffy speaking. “Are you better, Sanji? Are you sleeping? Are you conscious?”

Sanji moved his head to the side where Luffy was, but didn’t open his eyes as he was afraid that he would start seeing the whirlpools. He knew he had to calm Luffy as it was evident he was freaking out. “I’m awake so don’t worry. I feel a lot better. You can sleep if you want, though I have no idea what hour it is.”

“I’m so glad about that!” Luffy said with enthusiasm and he felt as he got closer to him. He put a hand in his right cheek and added, “It’s hotter than usual, but it feels better. You should try to sleep, but that way I won’t know if you’re unconscious.”

Sanji could hear some apprehension and fear mixed in Luffy’s voice so he said, “You have to sleep and I feel a lot better. Go to rest.”

“I can’t do that, Sanji. I have to watch over you and the ship. Also you have to use the whole bed for yourself since you’re sick. I’ll be fine so don’t worry,” Luffy said and he could almost sense the reassuring smile he was probably offering him.

They had been taking turns to sleep in the same bed as one had to be on the lookout. They had a spare mattress, but they hadn’t used it and while Sanji didn’t want to send Luffy to sleep there as the bed was better he knew that it was still a better option than staying awake the whole night (was it night already?) staring at him.

“You can sleep in the mattress with Bacon if you are worried about getting sick. You can anchor the ship so you don’t have to be on the lookout.”

“I’m not worried about that at all and I already have anchored the ship for the night. We always took turns to be in the lookout in the Sunny so it doesn’t matter. Also I have to take care of you and for that I will stay awake,” Luffy said with power and Sanji felt his heart throb.

He had to put a hand in his chest to make the feeling go away somehow and he heard as Luffy asked him if he felt alright. The sensation was strange, but it passed as soon as it started so he told Luffy that it was fine and he only felt something weird but that it was over. He heard Luffy sigh, but he felt how he got closer to his side with the chair.

Sanji could feel how anxious Luffy actually was and he really didn’t want to provoke that so he had an idea to make him relax a little. “I’ll tap my finger in my leg so you can see that I’m conscious. Is that good?”

“Okay, do that, but if you feel tired of it you have to tell me,” Luffy said and he hoped that would work to keep the captain calmer.

He began tapping his finger in his right leg that was closer to Luffy and he kept doing for some time still with his eyes completely closed. Luffy changed the rags at some undetermined points and when he said that the water had gotten too hot he went to the bathroom to change it for fresher one.

He really didn’t know how long passed by when Sanji couldn’t feel the headache anymore. He felt really sleepy, but since he didn’t know the status of his fever he asked Luffy to touch his skin again to estimate if he was really better now. Luffy touched his forehead and said that it felt more normal and even a little colder so he asked Sanji if he was too cold. Sanji shook his head and told Luffy that he wanted to sleep so he would stop drumming his finger against his leg.

Luffy put the last rag away from his skin, wished him a good night and Sanji turned to his right side. He pulled the blankets closer to him so he could be covered completely and Luffy helped him do it and he felt kind of bad for making him worry so much in a trip that was supposed to be fun but that it had been anything except that. However, he couldn’t deny that he would come back alone or with someone from the crew no matter what, though he would use more safety measures in another time.

After that Sanji felt comfortable enough to begin sleeping and he dozed off with rapidness without caring too much about anything for he was seriously tired. He wondered how exhausted Luffy was that had to take care of everything after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is cute and things are definitely better for Sanji. A lot better actually.  
> Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy is worried and Sanji has to calm him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's the new chapter and I must say I really like this one!  
> In the next chapter I'll explain some things that will change, but it's nothing related to the posting of the story as it's more related to the content? It's hard to explain without spoiling so I'll leave it at that.  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this one!

15.

 

Sanji woke up coughing, but his throat didn’t hurt as much as last night. He remembered the events that had befallen and he tried to push away the fear he had felt about the hallucinations as he really didn’t feel sick anymore. He touched his forehead to sense his temperature and he deemed it was normal so only after that he opened his eyes to see the room.

He saw how everything was in order: no walls had fallen over them and the roof didn’t have whirlpools in its surface. He noticed that Luffy wasn’t in the room and the one sleeping in the chair was Bacon instead. Sanji wondered where he was and then he realized that the sun was illuminating the room too much for it to be early in the morning so that meant he had overslept for the first time in almost a decade.

He freaked out and stood up to cook breakfast and hoped that Luffy hadn’t died of starvation already. He went to the kitchen with Bacon following him and found a mess with tons of dirty pans, rice scattered all over the place, broken eggs and even some flour in the floor. In the middle of that disaster was Luffy that seemed surprised by his appearance and a bit timid for being discovered doing this. Sanji put his hands in his hair because he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“You are wasting so many ingredients, Luffy! Don’t do this. I’ll do it, please.” Whenever he knew that someone was wasting food he got angry, but this time instead he felt something weird and perhaps because he was still kind of sick he didn’t scold Luffy like he usually would in these situations.

“Sanji, what are you doing here? Go back to the room and I’ll bring you breakfast soon,” Luffy said while he urged him with a spoon.

“I’m the one that has to cook, if it isn’t obvious,” Sanji said and he was really incredulous about this so he added while he got closer to inspect everything, “What exactly are you preparing?”

“Nothing! Now, go back to rest or I’ll get really mad at you.” Luffy pushed him to the room and he started to protest because he couldn’t allow this in his kitchen, but a coughing fit interrupted him. Luffy saw this and said, “See? You aren’t well yet so…”

Luffy guided him back to the room and when he was in the bed again he protested again, but Luffy didn’t listen and went to the kitchen to finish making whatever it was he was doing. Sanji didn’t want to be an ass with Luffy, but he knew that he had _zero_ knowledge about cooking. He was pretty sure he only knew how to roast meat in campfires, but they clearly didn’t have anything like that here so the option most similar to that was the oven and that still was advanced for what Luffy could handle. All of that plus that he was wasting so many ingredients that with his skills could actually be good food…

He pondered how the dish Luffy was preparing would turn out and even if he didn’t want to think about it that way, he was really worried that both might end up dying of food poisoning. The more he thought about everything, the more preoccupied he got so he called over Bacon to stop fretting so much when he knew that he had to trust in his captain like he had always done.

The cat jumped to his side and sat in his lap while he petted it. Sometimes he coughed and his throat still hurt. He did notice that the runny nose was worse than yesterday, but what was having snot compared to seeing the walls falling? Nothing, so even when he had to bring toilet paper to keep himself clean he didn’t care.

After a while he saw Luffy coming to the room with a tray in his hands and a big smile on his face. He really hoped the food was edible or he would have to eat it anyway and that could mean actual death. Then Luffy put the tray in his lap and put Bacon in the chair so it wouldn’t eat anything from the dish.

Sanji inspected the food with care. It was a simple dish of rice with fried eggs. They didn’t look bad at all. Quite normal to what he was expecting. The rice looked cooked enough and the eggs didn’t seem raw, which would be really good since he seriously didn’t want to die of salmonella because if he had gotten sick yesterday, who could assure him that he wouldn’t this time too?

He picked a fork to really know the state of the eggs under the heavy stare Luffy was giving him. He pinched one of the eggs with the fork and it looked fine or at least not raw. He did the same with the others and the eggs were actually overcooked. The taste was the best when they were at the right point, but it was still so much better to eat something cooked anyway. They weren’t burned either and he felt rather proud of Luffy.

He was about to do the same with the rice, but he remembered something crucial. Sanji asked if he had washed his hands or if he had washed the eggs and Luffy nodded and he was glad for it. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have eaten if he hadn’t because he definitely knew better than that, but that way he could at least prepare.

He took a small portion of rice and ate it because he wasn’t going to send Luffy back to the kitchen if it was still raw or if it wasn’t al dente like it was supposed to be. This was an emergency situation so even if the rice didn’t have enough salt and just like the eggs it was overcooked it really was good for being the first successful dish Luffy had ever prepared.

Sanji thanked Luffy for everything he had done with a wide smile and told Luffy to bring his plate to eat with him. Luffy had refused at first, but he insisted that he wanted to eat with him so he gave up and picked his dish from the kitchen.

When Sanji was done eating he observed how Luffy ate with obvious displeasure. He wasn’t eating as fast or with the same enthusiasm as always. He seemed to notice that he was staring at him and said, “Your food is so much better, but I won’t let you move from here. We’ll have to adapt.”

Sanji chuckled, but then he got curious about something so he asked, “How did you make this? I mean, how you knew about the time to cook and stuff?”

Luffy looked somewhere else, but it wasn’t like the times he was hiding something and instead it was more like he was embarrassed by it. He grew even more curious so he asked again and Luffy said something he couldn’t hear and he had to repeat himself.

“I read it from some books you have in the pantry,” Luffy never looked at him and Sanji could see a small blush forming in his face.

Sanji was speechless; he couldn’t believe this. Luffy had actually read a book. He had read a book to know how to cook. A book to cook something for him when it had taken Sanji years to realize Luffy knew how to even read. He had never told him that he thought he didn’t know how to read because he didn’t think he was less for not being able to, especially since he was so uninterested in it, but it had surprised him a lot the one time he had seen him reading the newspaper back in the Sunny.

Luffy noticed how he wasn’t saying anything and said, “Don’t look at me that way! Don’t gasp like that either!”

He said and his blush was stronger. It reached Luffy’s ears and it gave him a special look and Sanji felt all warm inside. It wasn’t in a bothering manner and it actually made him feel so well he was having trouble concentrating in the fact that they were talking. Sanji thought again that Luffy had cooked something for him and that he had read a book to prepare it and his heart jumped. He was getting all mushy from this, but he couldn’t help it.

Luffy saw that he wasn’t saying anything and asked him worriedly if he felt bad again. Sanji finally snapped out of it and told him that he was fine. He tried to ruffle Luffy’s hair in an affectionate way, but he started coughing and he didn’t want to touch Luffy with a dirty hand.

After that Luffy was back to normal and finished eating so he took both trays back to the kitchen and made Bacon stay with Sanji to look after him. The cat climbed to the bed and sat by his side. Sanji heard the sound of the faucet in the kitchen and he knew that Luffy was washing everything and he felt guilty that he wasn’t doing anything and had caused for the captain to work so hard.

Thinking about it made Sanji’s heart start beating madly again and only when he realized that the ship was moving he stopped pondering about Luffy’s efforts. He had forgotten everything about them being unable to navigate last night so he understood that the trip would take them probably one more day than what he had prognosticated. He had thought they would arrive in the Monday, but given the current conditions it was more possible they would get at Lovebird Island the Tuesday of the next week.

He stood to call Christina since he had to tell her that they would be arriving later than what he had said. The den den mushi contacted with the other device back at the island in the restaurant and he waited until someone answered. Mariano was the one that picked the call and Sanji told him to look for Christina instead. He didn’t want to tell him that he needed a real adult so he only waited for the other cook to respond.

Sanji informed Christina that they would be getting there later than expected so she would have to continue to be the responsible one in the restaurant. She got worried and asked him why he would take longer, but he didn’t know what to say. He was rather abashed that he had gotten sick in the first place so he didn’t want to tell her that he was late because of a common cold; it sounded too stupid and weak.

Before he noticed though, Luffy came inside the room and asked him what he was doing there calling someone and not in bed. Christina picked Luffy’s voice and asked him what was going on.

“Sanji got sick in the trip so we had to stop for some time. Now we are on our way back. See you later, Chris!” Luffy said and hung up the den den mushi.

Sanji asked him what he was doing, but Luffy only led him back to the bed so he could rest. Sanji felt like when he was a kid and Zeff made him go to sleep since it was too late for a child to be up. That with the fact that Luffy had told Christina what had happened made him feel embarrassed and he felt blushing, but thankfully Luffy didn’t notice it or he would have gotten worried again.

That way Sanji stayed all day in bed and Luffy did everything in the ship even when he told him time and time again to rest, but he wouldn’t listen. The captain was stubborn as a mule when he was preoccupied by his people and Sanji understood it as he knew the man’s personality well enough, but that still didn’t make it less impressing and the warm feeling he had in his chest remained unmoving.

…………………………..

They arrived at the island early in the morning when the sun wasn’t up yet. Sanji woke Luffy up since he had been sleeping the whole night. He hadn’t wanted at first and said that he preferred to take the usual turns, but Sanji insisted that he was too tired to do that. Sanji knew that Luffy had the stamina and endurance of a wild animal as he was the strongest man in the world, but this time he noticed he was tired, like emotionally drained and he never wanted to see that so he stayed the whole night awake in the same way Luffy had done the last Friday.

Sanji anchored the ship to the port and he took the boxes with ingredients from the All Blue while Luffy took their clothes and Bacon followed them to the house. As the path to the restaurant wasn’t long they arrived there soon and he was glad to be back at home. He went to the restaurant immediately to put the fish and seafood in the freezers and he knew that the other cooks would be marveled by the sight.

He also checked the state of the restaurant because, while he really trusted Christina, the rest were rascals when they weren’t being controlled. He saw how everything seemed to be in place and then he went back to the second floor. He prepared breakfast since Luffy was really hungry and while they ate Luffy seemed to be focused on something. Sanji asked him what he was thinking so much that he could almost see vapor coming out of his head.

Luffy looked at him and said, “I have been thinking that you should go to the doctor so they can check you completely.”

Sanji sighed because he had believed that Luffy was over this already. “I have to work and I feel totally fine. I don’t see why it’s so necessary that I must see a doctor.”

“Law said that you could have died and I want to make sure that you are fine. I know that if Chopper was with us he would have run tons of tests on you so we will go to the hospital,” Luffy said and Sanji could feel the melancholy in his voice when he talked about Chopper.

“I’m alright already, Luffy. Don’t get stressed about this, okay? I need to work so I’ll go prepare everything ’cause I need to show the cooks the things we brought.” Sanji stood up when he was finished and started washing the dishes.

He sent Luffy to rest if he wanted, but Luffy went with him to the kitchen. He started telling him again that they needed to go to the hospital and Sanji reminded him that Law had said it was a common cold so there was nothing dangerous in that. Luffy really wasn’t listening to him and he looked at the floor with an unreadable face. Sanji grew worried and asked him what was wrong.

“But what if it’s something more serious? I can’t have you dying on me,” Luffy said and he felt like trash.

He really hadn’t wanted to provoke any of this and to cause so much trouble and worrying the captain was the worst so he gave up. “Okay, I’ll go with you, but I have to see the cooks and after that we’ll go.”

Luffy looked up with a bright smile and went to hug Sanji. He felt kind of breathless while hugging Luffy back, but after he patted his head a little so he could finally let go of him he felt more normal.

After that Sanji went to the restaurant to prepare everything for the cooks to see the things from the All Blue and Luffy remained in the house with Bacon sleeping in his bed. He let him rest there as he had been really good with him, instead of just sending him back to the room he was officially using, though at this point it seemed like Luffy was seriously a part of his bed.

When the cooks arrived at the restaurant Sanji smiled at them and they all asked if he had brought what he had promised. He really hadn’t done that, but he understood their excitement. He picked some fish and some other species from the All Blue and put them in the table. He waited for the cooks to start speaking, but they were all quiet and speechless.

For any cook, amateur or professional, the All Blue was a dream so of course they were able to see the difference between regular fish and the ones from the secret place. Their colors were different and their shapes were distinct to anything Sanji had seen and he had seen tons of fish in his years navigating so if for him it had been surprising, then he expected for the cooks to lose their minds.

And they did. The cooks started inspecting the fish with attention and meticulously, taking in every detail the species had. They exclaimed happily about them and he saw how Mariano was crying. He couldn’t say he didn’t have the same reaction when he found the All Blue, so he didn’t say anything and let the guy cry his heart out if he wanted.

After that Sanji gave the instructions about what they would do with the fish and the other ingredients. He told them that they would only use one fish per day and the same went for the other species. Sanji had thought of a fair way to feed people the fish and since he didn’t care about money, he would use a roulette or something like that so it was chosen at random. Of course he could have given all the fish and food to pretty women, but despite being driven by their beauty he knew that he had to actually give a taste to everyone without being biased. It was going to be hard, but he would try.

He would have to remake the menus so they would start presenting the new dishes the next week once that was done. Sanji had created the new dishes when he first found the All Blue so he wouldn’t have much trouble now apart from choosing the best ones for the restaurant. The one good thing about the cooks, other than their skills, was that they never asked him anything related to the All Blue that was compromising, like where it was or how exactly it was. That made things easier for him as he had to guard the place just like Miro had told him.

That was one of the main reasons why he had chosen the staff and in particular the cooks. When Sanji interviewed them he asked them subtle questions about what they thought of the All Blue and if they seemed to be too interested about it or, more specifically, its location, he preferred to pick someone else for the spot. The ones that looked trustworthy and with enough enthusiasm, but not too exuberant, were chosen for the job and that was how Sanji had the current staff. None of them displayed any type of real interest in the exact place the All Blue was and were happy to cook at some point with it.

Sanji taught the cooks some of the recipes he had created with the All Blue and made them taste how it was. Each one of them was blissful and almost euphoric when the flavor exploded inside their mouths. That was the reaction everyone had when tasting dishes with ingredients from the All Blue and it was great to see that more people got to know somehow how marvelous his dream was.

When that was settled he opened the restaurant and informed Christina that she would be in charge for some hours since he would go to the hospital with Luffy. Christina got worried, but he reassured her that he was fine and it was only Luffy being overprotective. Sanji noticed how Christina gave him a strange smile, but he didn’t question her so he only left to find Luffy.

Luffy was still sleeping soundly in his bed and Sanji was really tempted to just let him rest there the whole day if he wanted, but Bacon ruined it and started mewing for unknown reasons. Luffy woke up thinking that he was sick again for he started asking if he felt bad, but he told him that he was alright and that he had come to go with him to the hospital. Luffy looked really relieved for that and went to splash water on his face.

When he was ready Luffy said they would go immediately to the hospital and left Bacon in charge of everything. Sanji saw how the cat seemed to get that he was responsible of the house even if it didn’t make much sense, but with Luffy and Bacon things never were normal so he just went along with them.

They went to the hospital that was close to the downtown. It was very big as expected of a huge city like the one they were currently at. Sanji had never gone to a hospital so he didn’t know how it worked at all and when they entered the main hall they were really lost about what to do. They went to ask to a pretty secretary that was in a table that read “information”. She asked them what they wanted and what was the reason of their visit, but Sanji started saying that his love for her had made him sick and his only cure was to be with her. The woman didn’t pay much attention to him and Luffy pulled his ear so he would stop doing that. Beyond any expectation Luffy was being the mature one here and he told the woman that his friend had been really sick the past days and he wanted to see a doctor to check that everything was right with him.  

The woman asked them more information about his past “serious illness” and then told them to wait until a general practitioner was available. She told them to wait in the side of the building in sector “c” where ambulatory things were treated. She also warned them that since they hadn’t made an appointment previously they would have to wait for some time. Sanji said he didn’t care as long as the pretty woman was with him, but Luffy only grabbed him by the arm and looked for the sector the doctor was supposed to be at.

When they saw a sign that indicated it was sector c they sat down and waited. Luffy got bored almost immediately and started asking him how things had gone with the cooks. Sanji related him happily about the reactions everyone had and how Mariano had even cried. Luffy said with a smile that he had the same reaction back then and Sanji grinned because it was true. He had been euphoric at the time and he probably still was.

Almost an hour went by when an old man called Sanji’s name and he stood up to go to where the man was leading him. Luffy accompanied him even if he told him that it wasn’t necessary. The man that was actually a doctor led them into a room and they entered the place. When everyone was seated the doctor introduced himself and asked for his name as if to check he was attending the right person. Then it seemed it clicked on him who he was and he chuckled.

“You’re a really cheeky pirate coming to visit a doctor in a hospital so casually,” the doctor said with a playful smile. Then he looked at Luffy and asked him who he was.

Luffy said with pride that he was the King of the Pirates and that he was accompanying him. Sanji sometimes wondered how Luffy took so much pride in simple things like he was accompanying him. That he was the King of the Pirates was a different story, but Sanji could totally feel the pride Luffy had in going with him to the hospital.

The doctor gave him a wide smile and asked Sanji why he was there if he looked so healthy. He related him what had happened back in the All Blue without too many details and only said that he had fallen into frozen waters and that according to another doctor he had had hypothermia, but that he had gotten well of it quickly. He told the doctor that the problem why they were there was because he had gotten sick and that according to the same doctor it was only a common cold and nothing more serious, but that Luffy was worrying too much.

The doctor then asked him why he had come if he had been checked by a doctor and Sanji answered that the other doctor had only given his opinion through the phone. The doctor seemed to understand and told him to lie in a stretcher. Sanji did as he was told and lay there while the doctor examined him. The doctor put the stethoscope to hear his heart and lungs. Then he palpated his torso and abdomen with care.

When he seemed to be done with the examination he told him to stand up because he was ready. The doctor prescribed him some vitamins just to prevent another cold, but he said he thought he was really healthy. Sanji smiled at Luffy in a way to show him that he was only exaggerating, but Luffy gave him a wide smile too, all teeth and happiness. Sanji felt breathless and he kept staring at Luffy until the doctor called for him to give him the final instructions.

Sanji paid attention back to the doctor and the man asked them if they had any more doubts. He was going to say that he was fine, but Luffy said that they needed to know what a thermometer was. The doctor gave them an incredulous look and asked them if they were being real about it and both nodded since they really didn’t know anything about that object. The doctor sighed and started to show them some basic things for first aid.

Luffy was really interested and took in everything that was being said. The doctor, aside from showing them the objects, taught them how to use them. Sanji thought it wasn’t necessary, but Luffy looked really into what the doctor was teaching them so he paid attention too. When the doctor was over that he told them to buy a first-aid kit in a drug store. Luffy nodded frantically and with that the appointment was over and Sanji and Luffy bid farewell to the doctor that only said that they were a really fun pair.

After that Luffy said that they needed to buy everything the doctor had prescribed and they looked for a drug store. It wasn’t difficult to buy the items and it was actually a lot more normal that what Sanji had thought.

As it was still early in the afternoon Sanji went back to the restaurant to work and Luffy went to the house to settle the first-aid kit in the bathroom. That way Sanji spent the whole day in the restaurant and Luffy went to have lunch with him, but other than that the captain apparently had been the entire day in the house above, which all things considered was something really weird for Luffy.

Sanji decided to close the restaurant one hour earlier and let everyone out much to the staff’s delight. He waited until no one was in the restaurant and stayed in the kitchen to prepare something special. He picked one of the fish from the All Blue that were on the freezers and started cooking it for dinner that day. Sanji knew how much Luffy liked the taste of anything from the All Blue, so he was rather surprised that he hadn’t asked for not even a piece of it when they were navigating.

Since it was kind of a surprise the dish, Sanji prepared it in its entirety in the kitchen and only when he was ready he went up. Before he could look for the keys though, Luffy opened the door with the look of a hungry beast. Sanji shouldn’t have underestimated his sense of smell, but as things were like that he only pushed Luffy away when he tried to eat from the dish like an animal. Bacon was mewing by Luffy’s side and he had to tell Luffy to move the cat away if he wanted to eat because he wouldn’t serve anything to Bacon.

Luffy accepted and put Bacon out of his way rapidly. Then he started begging for a taste and Sanji smiled since that was the reaction he wanted to see. He arranged the dish in the table and put the crockery quickly, careful not to leave Luffy alone with the food. When he was ready he let Luffy eat and seconds passed until Luffy’s plate was completely clean.

Luffy’s reaction was strange, but expected for Sanji. He had a wide smile when eating, but when he finished he cried loudly in a combination of being happy for having tasted something so good and sad because he had finished. It was really hilarious, but Sanji really liked it and he felt like complete when seeing Luffy’s reaction.

Luffy continued crying, but Sanji had to eat too so he started with his own dish. It was truly magnificent the flavor the ingredients provided so he felt like crying along with Luffy, but preferred not to since he wanted to focus in Luffy’s enjoyment.

Once both ate everything they washed the dishes and glasses to go to sleep. Then they went to the bedroom where Bacon was waiting for them already. The cat had a tired expression as if bored of waiting. They changed into their pajamas and since they were exhausted they turned the lights off to sleep fast.

Sanji was really tired so he was almost closing his eyes when he noticed that Luffy was really away from him. He called over to him and the captain didn’t move to his side like he had expected. He asked him if he was feeling too hot to be with him, but Luffy didn’t say much so Sanji grew worried. He turned the lights on again and saw that Luffy was facing the other side of the room, not looking at him.

Sanji didn’t know what possessed him, but he got close to Luffy and asked him if something was wrong with him. He only shook his head, but it only proved that he wasn’t feeling right. Sanji put his arms around Luffy in an attempt to do the same he had done some weeks ago when he wasn’t being himself. Luffy didn’t relax too much at the contact so Sanji decided to speak.

“What’s wrong? You can talk to me, you know?” Sanji said while trying to find a reassuring voice that would convince Luffy that it would be good to confide in him.

Luffy stayed some time quiet, but Sanji gave him a nudge and he finally started speaking back to him. “I was just really worried. Now it isn’t like that anymore, but it’s like I’m still afraid.”

“Is this about me?” Sanji asked and he saw Luffy nod so he said, “Don’t worry! Nothing happened and I’m here with you.”

“I know it’s just… that I’m really scared that I may lose someone that is important to me again,” Luffy said and it seemed like it was hard to admit his statement.

Sanji finally understood what this was about and thought that given the circumstances in Luffy’s life, it was probable he would get scared of this type of thing. He still thought that it wasn’t in any way comparable to what had happened with Ace, but for Luffy it must have been difficult to fully comprehend that.

He made Luffy turn around to see him and at first Luffy didn’t want to, but when he did he saw small tears in his eyes. Sanji felt really bad that he had caused that in Luffy so he hugged him tightly. Luffy seemed surprised by his action and asked him what he was doing.

“I’m hugging you ’cause according to some guy out there hugs are great when people are feeling sad,” Sanji said and he noticed how Luffy relaxed in his embrace.

After some time Luffy finally hugged back, but it was with some type of deeper feeling as if relieved that he was still there alive. That was the impression that Sanji had of Luffy’s hug, but he remained quiet waiting if Luffy actually wanted to speak.

“I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you like I lost Ace.”

Sanji picked the fear and desperation in Luffy’s words so he had to correct Luffy someway. “I won’t die, Luffy. This isn’t like that at all.”

“That’s what Ace said and…” Luffy didn’t finish, but Sanji understood very well what he was trying to say.

“But this isn’t a war or anything like that. I’m safe and this only happened because I was too careless. Next time I go I will do everything with care. I promise.”

Not even a second passed since his statement and Luffy separated to look at him directly in the eyes. “ _You_ go? Alone? No, _I’m_ going with you.”

Sanji sighed and said, “You are being overprotective. I will manage just fine.”

“I’m not being overprotective. I want to go with you because I like being with you. If I can take care of you while I’m at it then I will,” Luffy said in a confident way and Sanji didn’t find it in himself to disagree with him.

He preferred to hug him and Luffy hugged him back in earnest. Sanji told him again to calm down because he was fine and with him. Luffy nodded and after some time he asked him if he was feeling better and Luffy nodded again. He could feel how he was really relaxing in his arms and how his eyes were getting heavy once he looked at him. Before he dozed off completely, Luffy mouthed a silent “thank you” and fell asleep.

Sanji still held him and he could feel his breath in his neck and how his head was resting in the nook of it. Luffy’s hair tickled his face, but it was a nice sensation so he didn’t care. He also felt the strong grip his arms had over his form and how they rounded in his chest in a funny way.

He decided to turn the lights off and when he was comfortable enough he began dozing off. It was a wonder how good it felt to have Luffy in his arms like that. It was probable one of the best things Sanji had ever felt and he had experienced a lot of things in this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy is really cute and also if I'm not wrong we are in the middle of this story so thanks for reading up to this point and I'll continue writing as always!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes to visit Sanji and he has doubts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic, but first I have to explain some things!  
> The next week I'll post two chapters instead of just one since they are "special" to put it in a way. I'll post the first one that is chapter 17 the next Wednesday and chapter 18 the next Sunday as always. On Wednesday you guys will see some new tags and I'll explain further what this is about, but for now I don't want to spoil anything.  
> I think that's about it and as always thanks for reading!

16.

 

The next day Sanji woke up with arms surrounding him tightly. When he opened his eyes he saw that Luffy even had one of his legs on his right hip and he was about to push him away with force, but since Luffy had a bad mood the last night he opted to be gentler. He called for Luffy almost screaming and he finally woke up with a smile. He asked Sanji what he was yelling about, but he didn’t say anything other than he needed to get ready to work.

Luffy didn’t even try to get up and remained sleeping with Bacon next to him. Sanji prepared breakfast and only then Luffy woke up. He ate happily and Sanji asked him what he would do that day, but Luffy answered that he wasn’t sure and when he thought of an idea he would do something. Sanji really cared about Luffy not getting bored since he was only staying with him because he had said he would leave once he didn’t feel scared of being alone. He seriously didn’t want to provoke that, but he had to admit that he liked Luffy’s company anyway for selfish that it was.

Sanji got dressed in the bathroom and when he was done Luffy went to shower saying that he would go with him to the restaurant. Luffy always brought some sort of additional fervency to the restaurant and even if he caused troubles he still liked him there so he waited until he was ready and went down with him.

Sanji waited for the cooks and when it was noon he opened the restaurant. He had missed being in his house so he was happy to be back. Luffy for his part asked all the cooks to let him have a taste of what they were preparing, but none did and he was feeling bored and hungry, a very bad combination for Luffy. He was getting so bored of everything that he asked Sanji to play with him, but he refused and told him to go play with Bacon instead.

When Luffy was going outside one of the waiters told Sanji that the man that had come to see him in his absence was there again. The waiters had told Sanji yesterday that some man had asked to see him repeatedly when he was in the trip, but for some reason he hadn’t come that day. He was rather curious about that since no one really looked for him for personal issues, but he was a lot more worried about the fish from the All Blue to care about that.

He went out of the kitchen towards the dining room with Luffy that got interested of his visitor, but when he saw who it was he turned around to go to the kitchen again. The man called for him to stop him and he wasn’t going to do that, but the man started apologizing. He even bowed and Sanji stayed there because it was embarrassing with everyone looking at them.

“I’m really sorry that I didn’t come to see you before! I was really busy with the last fires in the forests,” the man said, but Sanji didn’t understand too much why that would occupy Aaron (was that his name?).

“And why would that be?” Sanji asked lifting his eyebrows to show incredulity.

“That’s because I’m a firefighter. The other week the fires were scorching everything on their way so I was really busy. I came to see you last week but you weren’t here,” Aaron (was that really the man’s name?) said as an apology.

Sanji had heard of the fires in the forest that surrounded the city, but he couldn’t have expected that the man was a firefighter and for it to be the reason why he hadn’t come to see him like he had said.

“Okay, you can continue with your work calmly now. You saw me, I’m here, goodbye,” Sanji said and he knew he was being childish since the man really did have a good reason to not have visited him, but his pride was rather hurt.

He was going, but Luffy stopped him. “Come on! He came to see you last week and he was busy. This guy is good. I mean, he’s a firefighter!”

Sanji saw how Luffy’s eyes sparkled at the mere mention that the man was a firefighter and he was about to tell him that if he was so amazed by him, then he could totally go out with him if he wanted. He couldn’t because the man seemed to pick Luffy’s interest and used it in his favor.

“You can come see the fire station tomorrow if you want. I can show you around the place,” he said with a smile that was somehow seducing, but Sanji didn’t want to think about that.

Luffy’s eyes shone like when he was seeing interesting things, but Sanji didn’t care about that so he said, “I can’t. I’m really _busy_ so I’m sorry.”

He let the word busy stretch in a petty way to show the man that he still didn’t forgive him, which was seriously stupid since the man had been busy doing something life threatening and he was helping other people too. The man looked defeated, but Luffy grabbed him by the arm to speak away so he wouldn’t listen to them.

“What are you doing? Give him a chance, please. I bet he’s really fun and the fire station is gonna be great!” Luffy exclaimed in a hushed tone.

“If you are so interested in him you can definitely go with him tomorrow. Also, I have to work.”

“Nah, he’s your guy. It’s your restaurant and you can leave Chris in charge! Go with him and I’ll be there right next to you to kick his ass if he’s annoying or boring,” Luffy said in a reassuring way and when he was like that it was so hard to disagree with him that Sanji gave up with a sigh.

They went back to where the man was waiting for them with a smile and Sanji said, “Okay, _we_ will go to the fire station tomorrow. See you around, I guess.”

The guy gave him a dashing smile and shook his hand as if signaling a contract. Then he said, “I promise it’ll be fun! My name is Aaron by the way.”

Aaron winked at him and Sanji felt a blush creep up his face. After that he left and he was going back to the kitchen when he noticed Luffy’s stare on him. He noticed how he had a sly grin and was looking at him like his plan had gone excellently. Sanji felt his face even hotter so he preferred to continue cooking in the comfort of his kitchen. He didn’t care one bit about what Luffy was trying, but he couldn’t deny that it was a really interesting situation and even with the captain looking at him that way he wondered if something good would come out of this.

………………………………

The next day Sanji had expected to go late to the fire station, but he didn’t even have to try as Aaron went to look for Luffy and him in the morning. Sanji could feel the stares the whole staff was giving them and he felt like going to his house to hide from their questioning looks. He couldn’t believe he was really doing this. If things went wrong he seriously thought he would kill Luffy at the end.

When they were outside the restaurant, Aaron led them through the city towards the fire station. He related to them stories about the town since he had lived his entire life there and knew tons of things about the place. Sanji had to admit that it was refreshing to have someone like that since most of the cooks and staff that worked with him were outsiders just like him so they didn’t know much of the city itself.

After a long walk through the city they finally arrived to the fire station. Aaron was received by the chief that teased him about finally bringing that pirate he liked so much. Sanji blushed while Luffy laughed loudly and hit his back. Aaron noticed how he was and winked at him and Sanji felt like dying of embarrassment.

They went around the facilities of the station while Aaron showed them the tools they used and the fire trucks. Luffy was a lot more interested than him so he only followed without saying anything and Luffy asked Aaron many questions. He was so insistent that Sanji wondered how the man wasn’t bored yet, but Aaron answered to everything with a small smile, as if really comfortable with them there. However, it seemed he noticed that he wasn’t paying too much attention and tried to talk with him.

Sanji responded with monosyllables and Luffy nudged him so he would answer better, but while he knew that he was being rude, he just wasn’t feeling the visit too much. Then suddenly the alarm went off and Aaron said that he had work to do, but he also asked the chief if they could go with him. The chief accepted and they followed Aaron that gave them the jackets of the suits while he changed swiftly into his uniform.

Sanji wasn’t going to lie, but when Aaron was putting on his suit he stared open mouthed. The guy was super…attractive. He had muscles in the right places, but they weren’t there just for show and they definitely held strength. He could have stayed staring at the guy for who knew how long, but Aaron called them to the fire truck. When they were in position to go to where the problem was, Sanji noticed the look Luffy was giving him. It was the same mischievous smile he had since before and he almost wanted to go back to the safety of his kitchen.

The ride to where the fire was didn’t take too long and Sanji watched with Luffy how the firefighters controlled the emergency quickly. As always Sanji asked if he could help since he didn’t get burned by fire, but the chief said that it wasn’t necessary for the time being. He continued to see by the sidelines how Aaron and the others fought against the flames and after a while they were able to extinguish the fire completely. Luckily it was an old factory that no one used anymore so they didn’t need to rescue anyone. They only investigated how the fire was created and they found out that some kids were playing around there and they scolded them for being stupid.

When they went back to the fire station Sanji thought they were going to leave, but the firefighters received a call asking for their services and Aaron told them to accompany him. He was going to refuse, but Luffy accepted easily and with that they left. Before that though, Aaron took out his jacket and Sanji was able to see his biceps and he had to confess that he thought they were formidable. Aaron seemed to notice his stare and grinned at him and he looked somewhere else even when he was being obvious.

Sanji thought they would be going with the whole squad, but Aaron said it was for something not too dangerous and they went to another part of the city. They arrived to a house that was in the suburbs and an old lady with a kid was waiting for them. Aaron asked the lady where it was and Sanji and Luffy were confused, but they followed the firefighter to where the woman was leading them.

They went to a park and the old lady told Aaron that it was up there in a tree. They looked up and saw a cat. Aaron was going to climb the tree and rescue Boots, as the kid called the cat, but Luffy extended one of his arms and grabbed it easily. The cat tried to scratch Luffy, but he gave it quickly to the old lady and everyone was surprised. The lady and the kid were grateful and thanked both Luffy and Aaron. They gifted them cookies and waved goodbye to Aaron as if they had known him for a long time.

On their way back Aaron commented that he had lived in that part of the city when he was a kid, but that now he lived close to the station. He also said that Luffy would do a terrific job as a firefighter. Of course Luffy that knew nothing about tact just had to say something so awful Sanji wanted to open a hole in the ground and hide there.

“What are you doing? You have to flirt with Sanji, not me!” Luffy exclaimed loudly while Aaron laughed. Sanji for his part only blushed.

“I will. I really will. Luffy, do you think a nice date some day with Sanji may be a good opportunity for that?” Aaron asked as if what he was saying was something really innocent, but his look and smile were the total opposite of that.

“Yes, it really will be! Ask him out. I’m sure he will like it!” Luffy said, but there were things Sanji didn’t like of his words.

“Don’t speak like I’m not here! I’m the one that has to accept a date, not you, Luffy,” Sanji said with a scowl.

“I’m sorry then! Aaron, ask him nicely!” Luffy pushed Sanji towards Aaron and Sanji really wanted to kill him.

Luffy went ahead of them and he stayed behind with Aaron that looked for the first time ever since he met him sheepish. He stared at him and then seemed to give himself courage and with a smile he spoke up.

“I should have asked you properly, but do you want to go out in a date with me? It’s okay if you say you don’t want to, but it’ll be really cool if you accept,” the man said while blushing.

Sanji couldn’t lie to himself and say he didn’t feel some sort of attraction for the guy, but he didn’t know if it was enough to actually go on a date with him. Still, the way the blush combined with his hair made him look amazing and somehow the addition of the suit he was wearing was even better for him. However, Sanji wasn’t sure of what he wanted and he almost wished to call Luffy so it could be him the one that decided the next step. That wasn’t possible and he was the one that had to do the decision so he stayed quiet for some time without knowing what to say.

At the end Aaron looked defeated and said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to. It’s really understandable.”

For some reason there was something in the expression Aaron had that provoked a stir in Sanji. It was like the light was casted in his eyes in a special way and the greenness of them were highlighted. Even with a small frown in his face Aaron looked amazing and he couldn’t control the urge to just go along with his offer.

“I want to go out on a date with you. It’ll have to be for the next Monday though, ’cause the other days I’ll be busy,” Sanji said with a blush of his own.

Aaron looked up to him with a wide smile and told him that he wouldn’t regret going out with him. Sanji really hoped that since he still had tons of doubts about this whole thing, but he preferred to just go back to the restaurant and think everything calmly there.

When they arrived back to the fire station Sanji told Aaron that he would go back to the restaurant with Luffy and with that they left. Aaron promised that he would visit him when he had time and Sanji only smiled, but didn’t say anything regarding his statement.

The rest of the day Sanji spent it in the kitchen and he was completely focused in his job so he didn’t pay attention to the continuous looks everyone sent his way. He knew they were probably surprised that a guy had come see him as they had learned in their time in the restaurant that he loved women, but if the chance was there then it couldn’t be that bad, right?

When it was time to close the restaurant and go home Sanji prepared something quick for Luffy and him. He served the dishes and was quiet the whole dinner completely lost in if he had screwed things up for accepting the date. After they were done eating Luffy said he would wash the dirty dishes so he could go to sleep.

Sanji went to his bedroom and changed into his pajamas. He lay on the bed without wanting to sleep right at that time, but he didn’t want to read or anything like that either. When Luffy arrived with Bacon he did the usual and lay next to him with the cat in the middle of the bed, between them. He asked him if he was going to read, but he only shook his head. Luffy seemed to notice that he wasn’t being himself and asked him if he had a problem.

He didn’t want to talk about this with Luffy, but since he kept staring at him worriedly he sighed and said, “I don’t know if what I’m doing is right.”

Luffy got closer to him and said, “About what?”

“Is it alright to feel this way? Is it alright that I find that guy…attractive?” Sanji said and he could feel his face hot.

“Of course it is! I thought you didn’t have troubles with that or you don’t like it when men like guys?” Luffy asked and he noticed that there was worry in his voice for perhaps he was thinking he didn’t accept that he liked men.

“It’s not that. I mean, if it’s okay to like women and guys too.”

Luffy chuckled and Sanji finally paid attention to him. Luffy had a smile on his face and said, “Yes, it is! It’s just people at the end, right? There’s nothing wrong with that!”

“It’s just that I have always liked women and this guy suddenly appears and looks… fine. What am I supposed to do?” Sanji asked not expecting a real answer while feeling how his blush covered his ears and neck.

“Kiss him! You gotta kiss him senseless when you have the opportunity if you like him,” Luffy said with so much determination that Sanji thought he was talking about going to explore an island instead of this.

He still laughed even if the blush only deepened. He couldn’t believe Luffy sometimes. “I wasn’t talking about that, but since you see it that way I guess it’s simpler than what I first thought.”

“Yes, it is! Now time to sleep since I’m sure Aaron will visit you tomorrow and you have to look great so no eye bags are allowed here!” Luffy exclaimed so loudly that Bacon woke up and didn’t look too happy.

“I never have eye bags so don’t say I do!” Sanji threw a pillow to Luffy and they started fighting like teenagers in a sleepover.

When they grew tired they rested back into the mattress. Luffy still went to his side to hug him and Sanji wondered if things went well with Aaron that would have to change. For some reason he wished they wouldn’t have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji goes on a date and things go really different to what he first thought...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! As promised the new chapter is here! As you can see there are new tags in the fic and they probably imply what this chapter is about. I preferred to update the tags because I don't know if everyone wants to continue reading this with the new tags, but the rate won't go up in this fic and there are only mentions.  
> Other than that everything will remain the same and as I said before the next chapter will be posted the Sunday like always.  
> Thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this chapter!

17.

 

Sanji was really nervous about the upcoming date and the new menu that was going to be presented the Tuesday, served as a distraction for his mind. Luffy tried to encourage him saying that Aaron was nice and attractive so he would like him a lot. Since for Sanji that really wasn’t the problem, he continued to be anxious about the whole thing.

It was so much that he was getting cold feet and was about to call it quits even if it was Monday already. He considered the option, but Luffy insisted in that he should totally go to the date. Since Sanji wasn’t in a good mood he got mad at Luffy and told him that he was too interested about the date and accused him of trying to find dates for him only because that way he could leave faster from the island. It was incredibly stupid to even think about it, but Luffy didn’t get mad.

“No, I’m only doing it ’cause I want you to be happy. I really don’t mind being here with you. I’m having a great time!”

Luffy said and Sanji felt like trash because he was such a good guy that of course he wanted the best for him and instead he dared to think that he was only doing it for selfish reasons. In his defense, more than anything it was the restlessness he was feeling that made him act like an ass so he apologized to Luffy for misinterpreting his intentions. Luffy was so laidback that he accepted it easily and focused again on what he would wear for the date.

Sanji didn’t have clue about that. He had tons of nice clothes, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to wear for a date with a guy. Would he even notice if he dressed well? He thought that Aaron really wouldn’t so he chose something simple, but Luffy shook his head and chose something “better” for him. His outfit clearly wasn’t any better than the one he chose, but he understood the point so he picked something that combined better and made him look as nicely as when he flirted with women.

When he was ready Luffy clapped and said that he looked amazing. Sanji almost felt like blushing, but he thought it would be weird so he preferred to just wait in the living room with Luffy and Bacon for Aaron to arrive at his house.   

Not long passed when Aaron got at the second floor and was waiting outside the door. He had visited the house before in the other days so he knew how to get there with ease. Sanji opened the door and made him enter to delay a little the actual date and being alone. He prepared tea for Aaron and offered him cookies and many other things. Probably forty five minutes later and Luffy stared at Sanji with an obvious look of “just go already”.

It was so much that Luffy apparently had enough and kicked Sanji out of his house with Aaron next to him. He wished him good luck with a smile before closing the door and for some reason Sanji felt a weird sensation. It was like he wanted Luffy to have a different reaction, almost as if he expected for him not to be so happy or enthusiastic about the date. It was almost like he wanted him to be somehow distressed or even angry at the idea, but that didn’t make any sense so he focused on Aaron and went with him to the riverside.

They had planned a date in the river since there were gondolas navigated by men that charged people to travel. It wasn’t like he had forgotten about his own ship, but Aaron had insisted in that it was different to be the one steering the wheel to just enjoy the view. It was true, Sanji had to admit. This time he could actually observe the nests the lovebirds had in the trees or the animals that drank water from the river.

Since it was a hot day there were tons of people and some swam by the side that was enabled. There were families having picnics and Sanji wished he had brought a basket with food too, but Aaron had said that he wanted him to just rest and forget about cooking for a day. He really couldn’t as that was literally his life, but he could at least try to relax thinking that he would get to make dinner later.

After having spent almost two months in the island Sanji noticed that the people from the town and even the tourists preferred the river over the beach. It wasn’t that the shore was ugly, but the river was very beautiful and had a different type of charm. Even in normal week days the river was filled with people and it seemed they didn’t care that much about their jobs and occupations and sneaked to get there.

Aaron had moved his free day from Sunday to Monday only for him, so Sanji felt like he had to make him have a good time. That combined with the fact that it was a first date and in Sanji’s case a first date with a guy, provoked that he was a lot more nervous than normal. Usually he enjoyed these situations from the get go and he had even advised the same to Luffy in his date, but this time he felt anxious and wasn’t able to make proper conversation. The main reason why he saw so many details of the view was because he couldn’t look at Aaron in the eye and talk to him.

The firefighter made obvious attempts to get him to wind down and speak, but Sanji felt like a robot. He was almost rigid with his movements when normally he was graceful and boasted confidence. He seriously felt bad for Aaron that tried to make him calm down, but he just couldn’t. He spoke to him, but he was like deaf and nothing registered in his mind other than the pretty colors of the birds and things about nature and that was worse since they clearly hadn’t come for that.

When the trip was over and they were back to the beginning Sanji didn’t know what to do. Aaron suggested to drink coffee in some place in the downtown and Sanji thought that it was a good idea as he really didn’t have anything planned. Before they went to the other side of the river to the center of the city though, both heard a commotion near them.

It was a kid that had fallen to the river and the other child that was with him couldn’t help him as it seemed he didn’t know how to swim. Sanji was going to throw himself to the water, but before he got to untie a shoe Aaron had already jumped to the river beating him to it. Sanji was surprised and he couldn’t help much because Aaron took a really short time thankfully.

He pulled the kid out and checked if he was breathing. It seemed everything was alright and he told the children to never play close to the riverside if they were alone. The kids cried, but it was because they were scared and not because Aaron had scolded them. He had been really nice and showed genuine concern for them. He even gave them some money so they could buy some lollipops even if all the cash he had was wet.

After that Aaron apologized for ruining the date, but for Sanji it wasn’t like that at all. The man was good and Sanji liked those kinds of things anyway so he told him that it was fine. Aaron said that he would like to continue the date, but that he needed to change his clothes. Sanji accepted and it caught him off guard when Aaron asked him if he could accompany to his house. Sanji didn’t know what got into him and even if he was nervous he nodded and went with him.

They went through the whole city to Aaron’s house that was, as he had said before, rather close to the fire station. Sanji would have liked to tease him and say he was a workaholic, but his mouth was so tense that he knew that if he spoke he would only stutter so he remained silent the whole way to his house.

Once they arrived Aaron told Sanji to make himself feel like in his home, but he just couldn’t. Aaron went to have a shower and left Sanji alone in the living room. Aaron didn’t share the apartment he used with anyone else so for Sanji waiting for him was almost asphyxiating. He let his tie a little loose to breathe more normally and since he really wasn’t focusing in anything other than being jittery, he didn’t notice when Aaron came back.

He only realized he was in front of him when he blocked the light from the window. It was still really early, past fourth o’ clock, but the shadows were noticeable. Sanji looked at Aaron with curiosity since he wasn’t saying anything and then he saw that he wasn’t wearing his shirt. He had his pants on, but he wasn’t wearing anything to cover his upper body and his hair was still wet.

Aaron asked him something, but he was now only focused on the muscles of the man’s body. He had already seen the muscles, but now there was something in his stance that picked Sanji’s interest a lot more. Sanji had always been one for being attracted to pretty people and this was no different than that. Aaron’s pectorals and his abs were really worked and Sanji wondered if he trained to acquire them or he got them while in his duties as a firefighter. He almost blurted out the question as he wasn’t very mindful on anything at the moment.

Sanji saw Aaron smile and he didn’t say anything. He took his hand and brought him closer to him. Sanji felt his face grow hot and he didn’t know what to do. He then saw how Aaron smiled wider and finally spoke up.

“You curious about something?” He said in a teasing tone, but Sanji decided he didn’t care as he was indeed very curious about many things, especially how it felt to run his hands over Aaron’s skin.

He bit his lower lip as he nodded without ever taking his sight away from Aaron’s abdomen. Sanji felt a hand lift his chin up to make him look up and he saw how Aaron was smiling seductively at him. He felt his heart throb a little in anticipation and both closed the little space that separated them.

It was almost funny, if not paradoxical, how Sanji forgot in one instant all about his nervousness and general anxiousness at the fact that he didn’t know what to do with a man. Kissing was still the same regardless of the gender, Sanji learned that day.

……………………………….

As Sanji walked back home he felt like dying. He certainly didn’t regret kissing Aaron, not at all, but he did have his concerns about what happened after since they definitely did a lot more than just kissing. It happened too fast and even if he knew what he was doing and wanted it just like Aaron when everything ended he realized that it might have been too fast. It had been their first date after all and he really wondered what the man thought about him. It also upset him that, just like in any affair and short flings he had back in the past, he did the same here and acted like he wouldn’t be seeing Aaron again in his whole life. It wasn’t that he thought that he wanted something serious with him, but he was going to stay at the town for a long time and to see him again after this was difficult to imagine.

He couldn’t lie that the sensation was amazing and he had really missed kissing and having someone close to him like that. He hated to think about it, but it had been probably about three months since he was with a woman. Of course there were many differences to the whole thing as Aaron was a man and he had been nervous as hell at some point, but Aaron was understanding and even told him to stop if he wanted, but he didn’t want that and the attraction was stronger and he needed to feel somehow loved. He needed to feel the desire for him even if it was physically so at the end and all things considered the moment had been great. What he wasn’t so sure about was if the overall thing was a really good idea.

He was also quite perplexed about how he had been so nervous about the actual first date, but the moment the guy showed him some skin he forgot about his shyness altogether. It was like that was all it took for him to move and react from both women and men and he had to say he didn’t like the thought too much. He actually wanted for once in his life something serious and he wasn’t too sure if this was the right way to achieve it.

It was night already, but surprisingly it wasn’t that late. Aaron had offered him to stay for the night if he wanted and hell if he had wanted, but he couldn’t since he had to prepare dinner for Luffy that was probably eating Bacon’s food at this point. If he had suspected that things would turn this way he would have left him something ready, but not even in his wildest dreams this option appeared as a possibility so he had said that he would be back that day and would cook dinner.

When he arrived at the house luckily Luffy wasn’t starving or eating the cat’s food, but only because it seemed he had bought food. Where he got the money from, Sanji had no idea, but he hoped he hadn’t sold one of his last treasures just for food again. He was about to ask him, but Luffy ran to his side to question about everything like they were in an interrogatory. Sanji didn’t know if he was going to tell Luffy how things had gone since he wasn’t sure how to deem it himself; the sensation was great, but the general mood and situation was something undetermined for now.

As Sanji went to change into his pajamas to sleep since he had eaten already too he tried to avoid saying anything too clarifying about what had happened. Then he noticed that Luffy stopped speaking and stared at him while he untied his shoes.

“You look different,” Luffy said matter of fact and then he sniffed the air and added, “And smell different too.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Luffy,” Sanji said trying to play the fool and kept staring at the floor focused on taking his socks off.

Luffy remained silent, but he kept observing him and it was freaking Sanji out. It was like Luffy could see the hands and the lips that touched and kissed his skin over and over again, but that was impossible so he thought he was only being paranoid. He continued with taking off his vest, tie and then his shirt when he heard Luffy gasp.

“You got a huge hickey on the collarbone!” Luffy exclaimed with surprise.

Sanji covered the hickey by instinct and was remembered of the presence of it only then. He had been so distracted of where his recent actions would lead him that he had completely forgotten about the hickey and that he had to hide it from Luffy. It also didn’t help him to recall about the hickey the fact that he was so used to change into his pajamas in front of Luffy day in and day out back in the Sunny that he felt like it was something natural for him to undress. Another story was for the mornings for some reason, since he felt they were more personal and as they shared the same bed he preferred to dress in the bathroom.

Luffy didn’t care about his internal thoughts so he continued with a smile. “Now I see why you weren’t telling me anything! You sure got lucky in the date.”

Sanji had never heard Luffy referring to sex as “getting lucky” and he was freaking out because if the whole thing was already complicated for him, having Luffy know of what he had done and talk about it so freely was awful. If it had been anyone else that told him this he would have been fine, but Luffy was never too interested on the matter and even if it was obvious he knew of the subject, Sanji seriously couldn’t recall not even one time where he had thought of it to be a good or enjoyable activity. He always treated it as something humans did because of nature, never showing curiosity, but perhaps Luffy was now feeling more sensations or emotions and was catching up to the things he didn’t do in the journey for the One Piece, but that didn’t stop Sanji from almost fainting upon hearing that.

When he regained his composure he said, “What are you saying? Nothing of that happened!”

“You even smell differently!” Luffy said between laughs, but then he added, “Don’t worry though, ’cause I won’t ask you anything other than if you had a good time.”

Sanji had been mortified, but the impression was so great that he had felt as blood went to his heart rapidly, so when he calmed down with what Luffy was saying of not asking for details he felt the blush hit his face.

He didn’t want to look at him so he put the shirt of the pajama on and said, “Yes, it was a very fun day.”

“That’s so good! I’m happy for you!”

Sanji could hear the smile on Luffy’s face, but he didn’t feel like smiling. They went to rest in the bed and even if Luffy knew that he had slept with someone he still hugged him like in every normal night between the two. Sanji couldn’t really understand the reason he felt it wasn’t right that Luffy was there with him that way and it wasn’t because he thought he was betraying Aaron. No, it wasn’t anything like that and he had the impression it was more related to Luffy than to the man he was going on dates with. With those thoughts in his mind, Sanji concluded that it hadn’t been a good idea to be with Aaron at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji doesn't feel too much with his new relationship; he prefers other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic!  
> I commented before that maybe I'll post chapter 19 next Wednesday, but that's something I still have yet to see! Maybe the new chapter will appear that day, if not then it will definitely appear the Sunday!  
> As always thanks for reading!

18. 

 

It would be their second formal date in one week and Sanji still didn’t feel too secure. After the first date they hadn’t been able to really hang out together since Sanji had been busy with the presentation of the new menu and the press and costumers that came to see the preparations with ingredients from the All Blue. It had been fun but really tiring too. People were crazy about tasting things from the restaurant and some rich people had demanded to be the first ones to savor the dishes, but Sanji stuck to his plan and didn’t yield with his previous decision: the ones eating would be chosen at random and that was it.

At the end people had to understand since he wouldn’t back down from it, but some more annoying fellas still tried to eat without permission, though they didn’t last too long with their attempts as he kicked them out with force. Other than that Sanji had focused on actually cooking and introducing the new dishes so for that reason he hadn’t been able to go out with Aaron.

The firefighter still went to see him in the middle of his shifts. He had even tasted seafood from the All Blue, but Sanji hadn’t been too happy about it. He knew he couldn’t be biased towards who got to eat and the only exceptions he did were with the crew and Zeff since they helped him directly with his dream, but with the rest he didn’t feel it was right. Since Luffy had been the one of the idea at the end he gave up and prepared something for Aaron, though he knew that the man noticed that he didn’t want to do it. He had been overjoyed when he tasted the dish and Sanji liked to see that too anyway.

It seemed Aaron didn’t care if he had wanted to give him something or not as he asked him for a second date. Sanji hadn’t wanted to accept and said he was still busy, but Luffy convinced him to go in Monday as it was his free day. He knew that himself, but he was torn between just going or refusing the idea since he still felt rather embarrassed about how things had gone in the first date. However, as Luffy had the convincing power of a king, he told him to just go and stay the night if he wanted and that he would only ask him to prepare dinner and that was it.

His offer had been really tempting so he was currently walking through the streets with Aaron. They held hands and he saw how everyone stared at him. Sanji thought it was because they knew that he had never been with a man, but it was actually because Aaron was well known in the city. He was like the city’s golden boy for obvious reasons as he helped everyone and Sanji met more people in that short span of time than the two months he had been there with Luffy.

They were nice people and they gave them things for free like the tickets for the concert they went to or even free coffees. The people told Sanji many good things about Aaron as if recommending him, but he knew about those good traits already. Nevertheless, for much that the idea of the date was good and he was entertained, Sanji couldn’t say he was feeling the outing too much. Aaron was a good person and really, really, handsome, but for Sanji there was something missing in their interactions. It was like they could be friends but not more than that even if they had definitely kissed.

It wasn’t like Sanji was bored, but he would have preferred to stay with Aaron in his house and perhaps just kiss. He didn’t know how to ask him that so he secretly hoped he would bring up the topic and ask him instead. When things were getting kind of awkward as they didn’t know what else to talk, Aaron finally asked him if he wanted to go to his house for some time and he practically yelled that he would love to.

They went quickly to Aaron’s house and when they arrived it was somehow uncomfortable since they knew they would begin kissing, but who was going to start was undecided. Sanji thought that perhaps Aaron had doubts about what they would be doing after the kisses, but he stayed quiet and waited for the man to make the first move. He offered him tea and they sat at the couch in the living room drinking in silence.

When they finished and things couldn’t get more awkward Aaron put a hand in Sanji’s leg gently. They finally looked at each other and with a question in his eyes Aaron asked Sanji if he would allow him to kiss him. Sanji nodded and the man approached him. He put his hands in Sanji’s face and kissed him slowly, but Sanji wanted more than that even if he would probably regret it later on so he brought more passion to the kiss and lay in the couch. That made Aaron follow him and he straddled him as he kissed him with fervency.

Sanji didn’t even notice when his clothes went flying as he was only focused on the sensation he was feeling. It felt great to have someone touching him like that and he forgot completely about the fact that he knew that something important was missing between them.

…………………………………..

Sanji woke up for the seventh time in the week in a bed that wasn’t his. He had come to Aaron’s house every day after work and they went on dates that lasted less than one hour and practically ran to kiss. He hadn’t slept not even once in his house since Monday and he only entered the place to change clothes, but not more than that. He cooked dinner for Luffy while he was at work and Luffy didn’t seem to care that he was spending most of his time alone with Bacon. He actually looked happy that he was seeing someone and he should have felt the same too, but instead some sort of insecurity or distress made way into Sanji’s head when he noticed that Luffy didn’t seem to mind to be away from him.

It could be that he missed his good friend that always helped him. It could also be that he missed his house or perhaps even Luffy’s hugs. He did embrace Aaron at night, but it was different and clearly for other purposes and he never let him hug him when they were just sleeping as it felt too personal yet. It didn’t make much sense that he let the man touch him everywhere, but when it came to simple hugs he had his rules.

The good thing was that since it was summer already he could lie and say it was because of the heat that he didn’t want to hug Aaron. Sanji didn’t know if the man actually saw through his lie or not, but as he didn’t say anything and let him be he assumed he didn’t care. Sanji felt kind of glad about whatever they had because they really weren’t anything serious yet, but he had to admit that he didn’t see something else in them either. What they had was fun and physical, but no deeper emotion than that was there and he didn’t know if Aaron actually wanted that. Hell, Sanji didn’t know if he wanted that himself because he wanted something formal and long-lasting, but while their dates indicated some sort of relationship and it was fun for him, he still really wished something more meaningful. He wasn’t happy, just content.

While he prepared breakfast for the firefighter and cooked eggs, Sanji debated what he would get of his relationship with Aaron, as if the yolks with the oil would tell him an answer. He felt Aaron approaching from behind and Sanji told him that breakfast was almost ready. He expected the man to hug him from behind and to try to convince him to forget about the food and do “something more interesting” as he liked to say, but that never came and Sanji looked at him. He saw that Aaron was only staring at him with an unreadable face.

He got close to him and kissed his cheek, but he didn’t do more than that and thanked him for the food. When they ate they didn’t say too much, but that was almost normal at this point since they actually never talked that much to begin with. However, the feeling was different and Sanji could sense it. It was like something was bothering Aaron and he had noticed it since the last two days, but today was more notorious.

After breakfast Sanji went to shower, but instead of the guy wanting to go with him he stayed behind to wash the dishes. This time he had brought a change of clothes since it was Monday and he would spend it with Aaron the whole day and he wouldn’t go back to his house to work. Sanji had prepared a dinner for Luffy and left money so he could buy food. He hoped he would buy healthy things, but since it was Luffy he didn’t know what to expect.

When both were ready he waited for Aaron to plan something for the day, but he didn’t do anything and stayed in the couch reading. Sanji was lost because he clearly hadn’t come to observe the man reading when he could that at any time, but he felt strange demanding a reaction from Aaron so he sat next to him without saying anything. After some time Aaron finally spoke up and said that they could go to some restaurant to eat lunch and Sanji nodded since he wouldn’t feel that awkward that way.

They went together to the place, but they never held hands, not even once, and Sanji was sure that Aaron was mad at him for some reason he didn’t understand. He wanted to ask him what his problem was, but he preferred to wait until they were in the restaurant. When they arrived they stayed once again in an uncomfortable silence once their orders were taken. Sanji was about to speak, but he felt a commotion outside the restaurant and Aaron and him went to see what was happening.

Outside the restaurant in the street there were at least twenty people passed out and Sanji didn’t even need to see what had provoked it because he knew that haki too well not to understand. Of course it had to be Luffy the one that had caused this, but Sanji didn’t know the exact reason as he hadn’t done that before at the city either. He went to his side and Luffy was speaking with some Navy officer that was accusing him of causing a disaster. In the way there were some people that had apparently seen the scene and were defending Luffy.

“He was protecting us from a robber while you dimwit were eating! I have no idea what the hell he did to knock everyone out, but he saved us,” a woman said with a scowl.

With that Sanji finally got the whole picture and as always Luffy used haki without restriction. He was too powerful now and he had problems adjusting to weaker folks so he went to help him out since he didn’t want Luffy to be seen as a trouble maker, which he seriously was, but he preferred if he didn’t have problems in the city.

“Officer, focus in the passed out people and leave him alone. He was just helping, but now he’s too strong,” Sanji said with an apologetic gesture of his hand, but the officer only frowned.

“I don’t care about pirates. You are always causing trouble wherever you are.”  

“But I haven’t done anything. This guy was being annoying and was stealing food from my friend,” Luffy said while holding a knocked out man by the collar with ease.

Sanji didn’t know who Luffy was referring to with “friend”, but he looked at his side and noticed that Mariano was there. He sighed. Mariano had such little presence that of course he had a hard time seeing him. Sanji knew that Mariano, who was born in the city, sometimes sold things at a market in his free days so it was probable that Luffy had gone to see him.

“It’s true, officer! This man was trying to steal the food I was selling in the market and the money I got from there,” Mariano explained to the officer through tears while the man rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay. But do something about the people,” the officer said and then directed to Luffy and added, “And I hope it’s the last time I see you causing trouble.”

“Yes, Sir!” Luffy said without mockery, but the officer still grimaced because he probably understood that it was stupid that Luffy, being the King of the Pirates, really cared of his warning.

For his part Sanji laughed loudly when the man was out of earshot and waited with Luffy and Mariano for the people to wake up. It didn’t take too long and he helped along with Aaron the people that were getting conscious. He asked Luffy to help him, but he said he didn’t know how to and ate some snacks Mariano had. Sanji scolded Luffy for always bringing problems, but Mariano started crying and said that everything was his fault. Luffy instead of consoling him, scolded him for being a wimp and Sanji couldn’t help but laugh too since he knew how Luffy was when people cried as he normally didn’t like crybabies.

With that Mariano cried harder and Sanji apologized for being rude. When things calmed down, Luffy and Mariano were going to leave to eat the remaining food at the riverside, but Sanji stopped them to ask them if they wanted to eat with them at the restaurant. He saw how Aaron didn’t seem too happy with the idea, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like he wanted to fill the silence with their presences as it was actually that he really missed Luffy and his ability to somehow ruin and fix everything, like he was a special type of condiment for every situation; without him things just weren’t that interesting.

Luffy refused easily and said that he wanted to eat what Mariano had prepared and left with him to the river. Sanji felt kind of bummed out since this “problem” Luffy had caused was so usually him and in the past days he hadn’t been with him in the nights he had missed him a lot. Spending time with Aaron was really fun, but he had to admit that deep down he preferred his interactions with Luffy, though he would never tell Aaron that.

They went back to the restaurant and their orders were ready so they started eating without saying anything as it was practically a tradition between them now. If before Sanji had known that Aaron was mad, now he was completely sure, but he didn’t even know what to apologize for so he kept quiet. They only exchanged monosyllables like when they had first met and while Sanji was confused he was also starting to get mad too because he wasn’t a fortuneteller to understand what was bothering Aaron if he didn’t tell him directly.

Tired of the situation he asked Aaron what his problem was when the dessert arrived. Sanji didn’t even let him grab the spoon when he said, “Okay, so what’s going on here? You are all upset and I want to know why.”

Aaron stared him incredulously, but then seemed to get what he was talking about and said, “I guess I’m being obvious, right?” Sanji nodded and the man continued. “It’s hard to say this because I really like you, but…”

Aaron stayed quiet, but Sanji wanted to know what he was saying. “But what? Tell me what’s so hard to say.”

The firefighter seemed to give himself courage and said, “But I think we should stop this. We shouldn’t see each other anymore. At least not like lovers, I mean.”

It wasn’t like Sanji couldn’t believe what was happening as it was certainly an option considering he was really unattached to Aaron and it showed, but it still was something he didn’t expect to happen so soon. Nevertheless, Sanji couldn’t say he was really hurt by the man’s decision. He had understood with Aaron that even if he was with someone that didn’t mean he was emotionally connected with them and Sanji wanted something deep in every sense. A friendship mixed with love that also included physical attraction, but just sex with a few nice words was something he had already experienced and he was looking for more than that.

At seeing that he wasn’t saying anything, Aaron got mad and said, “See? You don’t even care. You have never cared actually, but I should have known too.”

Sanji felt bad for Aaron so he decided to explain things to him. “It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that I don’t see us going anywhere together. I think you are good looking and really nice, but I’m sure you know that we don’t share anything in particular either. We don’t have a deep connection and that’s something I really want.”

Aaron was unperturbed and said, “Well, that’s true. I also don’t feel something too deep for you even if I like you. For that reason I think it’s better if we don’t see each other anymore. We may get tempted to do the only thing we have been doing for the last week again, but that won’t lead us anywhere. No hard feelings, right?”

He extended his hand towards Sanji and he took it to shake it. “No hard feelings. Now eat your dessert. I’m paying so don’t worry.”

The man smiled and started eating. Sanji did the same with a small smile too. He should have felt bad about this whole thing, but he just didn’t. He knew that he had other people in his life that loved him even more than Aaron that lasted as his almost boyfriend for two weeks, so that left him feeling calm.

………………………………  

Sanji arrived early to his house since the date was obviously canceled. Luffy wasn’t there yet and he didn’t feel like searching for him either. Now that everything was over he was feeling kind of blue. It wasn’t like the desperation he sometimes felt when he thought he was going to end up alone, but it was like sadness had installed in his heart. It wasn’t a deep feeling and Sanji knew it was the sensation of having lost someone even if Aaron wasn’t close to him.

One thing Sanji was impressed by was the fact that he really hadn’t felt restless about breaking up for the thought alone of loneliness. He had the impression that he wasn’t that desperate now, but he didn’t have a good reason for it. Still, any time he thought of Luffy leaving he got depressed quickly so he also understood that only a part of that fear was resolved and not it its totally. Sanji hoped Luffy would remain with him until he felt brave enough to be completely alone.

He read and listened to music with the windows open since it was really hot that day. When the sun set he started cooking dinner and not long took for Luffy to arrive with Bacon. Both were dirty with mud and were dirtying the floor and Sanji wanted to scream, but he couldn’t because Luffy beat him to it.

“What are you doing here?” Luffy yelled and even Bacon looked surprised.

“Stop dirtying the floor. You and that cat go to the bathroom now!” Sanji said and Luffy tried to make him tell him why he was there.

“I’ll tell you when you are clean. Now go!”

Luffy went with Bacon to the bathroom and Sanji stayed cursing and cleaning the floor. After tons of mews and screams from Luffy’s part they finally came back to the dining room. Luffy was wearing new clothes and was scratched all over his skin. Sanji had suspected that would happen, but he wasn’t expecting for Bacon to still be wet and dripping water to the clean floor, dirtying it once again. Luffy’s clothes were wet too and Sanji wanted to scream once again.

“Bring that cat over here and I’ll look for towels. After he’s dried you’ll have to clean the floor ’cause I’m not doing it,” Sanji said holding back from actually swearing.

They spent a good time drying Bacon off while the cat tried to scratch Luffy and Sanji. He hadn’t known he hated water that much, but it was rather obvious considering Bacon was a cat even if he liked to follow them through the seas. When Bacon was back to normal and his fur wasn’t wet they stopped rubbing towels against him. After that Sanji told Luffy to go change into his pajamas since he would dirty the clothes and it was late already.

When they were both done Sanji finished cooking the dinner and called Luffy to eat. Luffy had been impatient about why he was there, but he told him that he would only talk when they were eating. They sat at the table and before he could even eat the first bite Luffy asked him again, not tasting from his own food. It seemed he was really worried, but he had nothing to be distressed about.

“I’m not going to see Aaron anymore, Luffy. That’s what happened, but don’t worry because it’s something we both decided,” Sanji said even if he knew that it wasn’t exactly like that.

“Are you okay? Do you feel sad?” Sanji could hear the preoccupation in Luffy’s voice, but he didn’t want to cause that in him.

“Yeah, I really am. I feel kinda in the blues, but nothing too troublesome. I’m really fine, but thanks for worrying,” Sanji said with a small smile.

“That’s good! I don’t like it when you are sad and you have nothing to thank me. I will always care about you and…”

Luffy continued saying something, but Sanji only focused in the part where he said that he would always care about him and his heart almost jumped. He felt that breathing was hard, but he knew that he had to make it seem like he was listening to whatever Luffy was saying or he would get worried for the wrong reasons. He thanked Luffy for his nice words and started eating without looking at him because he knew that his heart would do that same weird leap again and he didn’t want that for now.

When they were both done eating Sanji went to sleep since he felt tired and tomorrow was working day. Luffy went to his bed with Bacon in his arms and from what Sanji knew they slept there even if he wasn’t with them. Since the night was still hot Sanji let the window open and turned the lights off when Luffy and Bacon were settled. The cat remained at the end of the bed, but Luffy approached Sanji to hug him.

Sanji said that he didn’t want that as it was too hot, but Luffy didn’t listen to him and enveloped him in his arms with a tight hug. Sanji felt how his heart throbbed again and even if he didn’t want Luffy to be away, he still told him to sleep on his side of the bed.

“No, I’m holding you ’cause I need to know you’re alright the whole night. I’m not letting go!”

Every word Luffy said somehow vibrated inside Sanji’s head and heart and he was having trouble breathing again, but he preferred to speak and calm himself.

“I already said you have nothing to worry about, Luffy. I’m okay now and I will be later in the night too,” Sanji said while trying to put distance between his body and Luffy’s, but the captain only tightened his grip in him.

“I’m hugging you just in case then. Now sleep ’cause tomorrow you work and you can’t be tired,” Luffy said and rested his head in Sanji shoulder while half of his body was over Sanji’s.

Sanji’s heart at that point was beating madly, but he didn’t resist the hold anymore and welcomed it with a smile. He rounded Luffy’s body with his arms and brought him even closer to him. When they were in a comfortable position he felt that Luffy was already sleeping and he began drifting off too, but not without thinking how much he had missed those hugs. Sanji wasn’t sure why it seemed like he didn’t care that he didn’t have someone that desired him like Aaron, but with Luffy that close it was impossible to think about it so he just fell asleep quickly in his captain’s strong embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't said this before, but young cook Mariano is super important in this story! It'll be obvious at some point, but not for now.  
> Also, the next chapter is really fun and things will change thanks to it. Or things begin to change there, so stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji gets a haircut; Luffy marvels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I had commented I truly posted a new chapter today! I didn't know if I was going to be able, but thankfully I had time! Though, I must warn beforehand that the other weeks it'll be one chapter per week and this was an exception unless I say that it won't be like that!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

19.

 

Two weeks had gone by since the last time Sanji saw Aaron and like he had thought he didn’t feel bad. He didn’t miss him not even for the sensation of having someone touching him like that and he was sure that it had been the right decision to put an end to whatever they had. Instead, Sanji mainly focused in his job at the restaurant and planned some improvements to the place.

Since the weather was inclement with the island, the whole days were hot, even the nights, so Sanji thought about getting ice creams as dessert for the restaurant even if he didn’t like them. The one that was the happiest was Luffy that loved the idea and encouraged him to do even more things like that.

Things were good with in the restaurant and his life, but Sanji had a problem he didn’t know how to fix. He couldn’t let Luffy help him with this for much that he had offered his services since it was too dangerous for him. He also couldn’t wait anymore or he would really die; the heat in the air was going to kill him if he didn’t do this. He needed to get a haircut _now_.

Sanji’s hair had grown a lot with time and he hadn’t cut it in almost six months. Usopp was who cut it for him when they were at the Sunny, but now he didn’t know who would do it for him. He really trusted Usopp with the task so he was wary of other barber. Still, he really needed to cut it since it had grown too much and it covered his neck in an annoying manner, but it wasn’t long enough to put it in a bun either so that left him with no option.

At the end he had to ask Mariano if he knew of a barber that was good and the young cook recommended him an old man that worked in the downtown. Sanji left Christina in charge of the restaurant and went to the barbershop with dread since he really feared he would end up looking like a scarecrow or something worse.

He was sent to some really nasty looking houses and Sanji wondered where in hell Mariano had led him. He searched for the direction and when he found it he entered the barbershop that was almost falling to the ground. The only good thing was that it didn’t look dirty or else he would have left already so when he was received by an old man he was guided to a chair. The man introduced himself as José and asked what he wanted since he already knew his name.

It wasn’t anything new for Sanji as he was used to people knowing about him before even meeting him so he just indicated what he wanted to the barber. It was going to be something simple and just a little cut to the tips of the hair, but the man looked at him with a strange face.

José shook his head after a short while and said, “No, you have to change that style. It’s too old fashioned now and it won’t work with someone special. I bet you want to impress someone out there so hear me out with this one.”

Sanji didn’t know what the man was talking about since he honestly had just come because he felt it was too warm to keep his hair long. Nevertheless, the idea that he would “impress someone special” as José said was appealing and he listened to what he man had in store for him.

When José was done explaining he asked Sanji if he liked the idea and he said that he would like to try and with that the man began cutting his hair. Sanji hoped he didn’t regret this, but the thought that someone, whoever it was, would like how he looked sounded amazing.

………………………………..

It was the first time Sanji had his hair cut so short, but he thought it still looked good in him. He really liked the haircut and he had paid well José for his job since he had done something no one had ever dared with him. When he was back at the restaurant he thanked Mariano for the recommendation, but the cook didn’t seem to pay attention to that and only looked at him like he had grown two heads. Sanji knew why he was like that for it had been a long time since he revealed his right eye like when he had first started the journey with the crew, but it was annoying to have the whole kitchen and even some costumers gawking at him.

Sanji was starting to think he looked terrible as everyone was giving him such looks, but then John said exasperatedly why he was so good looking, almost as if he was offending him for it. Sanji didn’t know what to say or if to thank him even when it wasn’t a real compliment so he just sent John to work as usual and he resumed his own activities. 

As it was incredibly annoying and bothersome to have everyone gasping at his sight, Sanji went to work in his office. He hated administrative labors with his life, but he had to do them at some point and this was a good chance. He spent the whole afternoon working on that and when the sun was starting to hide in the ocean he heard Luffy coming to his office. He hoped he was clean unlike all the times when he arrived at the restaurant.

Sanji looked up from the papers once Luffy entered the office and it seemed he was excited about some beetles he had found because he was speaking about them when he laid his eyes on him. Luffy stayed quiet and Sanji waited for him to finally react, but too long went by and he got up from his chair to ask Luffy what was wrong with him.

He put in front of Luffy and only then Luffy seemed to finally wake up from whatever daydream or trance he was living. Sanji didn’t even have time to think when Luffy gasped and then spoke up.

“Wow, you are so pretty. What the hell!” Luffy said and lifted a hand to touch his hair.

Sanji felt his heart beating crazily inside him and how his cheeks burned while Luffy caressed the right side of his hair. He could even see how Luffy had a small blush too in his face and the situation was surreal. Sanji really liked Luffy’s words and he didn’t mind that he was touching him or that he had overreacted like the others.

When Luffy seemed to get a grip of his actions he stopped touching his hair and said, “It’s the first time it’s so short, but it suits you so well! You look so pretty and handsome and…and I don’t even know anymore!”

Luffy’s excitement and perhaps even surprise was uncontrollable and Sanji didn’t know what to say to make the captain stop. Luffy was almost jumping from the stir this seemingly had provoked in him and with every adjective he said describing how good he looked, Sanji’s blush deepened.

At the end both were a mess of burning faces and they didn’t know what to do to make the other stop speaking so Sanji called for a truce and they remained silent for some time. Luffy stared at him and Sanji couldn’t even look at him. They were going to continue with that until Christina came to his office to ask for something. Sanji went back to the kitchen to cook as he was done revising the papers and he wanted to escape from this awkward situation, but Luffy followed him there and it was obvious he didn’t notice or care how strange this was for him.

Luffy followed him through the entire kitchen while stealing bread and that was the best excuse Sanji had to kick him out since he was embarrassed of what he was doing. He sent Luffy to the house so he could wait for him until the restaurant was closed. With that Luffy left, but he still stared at Sanji the whole way when going upstairs. Sanji could feel the looks everyone was giving him and Luffy, but he preferred to just play dumb and continue working.

When the time to close the restaurant thankfully came, Sanji told the staff to go quickly since he was tired that they were looking at him so much. He went to his house wondering if Luffy would still stare at him that way when he arrived and he wasn’t wrong for he didn’t have to open the door as Luffy ushered him into the house. Sanji was rather confused because he really didn’t know what he wanted, but Luffy was never one to keep secrets anyway.

“I need to see them! Together, both, I need to see them!” Luffy was breathing as if he had run a marathon and his face still had a blush.

Sanji seriously didn’t understand what the hell Luffy was talking about so he said, “What are you saying? Both together? What are those ‘both together’ anyways?”

“Your eyes! Not just one, I want to see both at the same time, please!”

It was like the idea had come as an epiphany to Luffy given the way he was exclaiming and asking to see his eyes, but Sanji really didn’t want to show him any of that. He had always thought they connected him too much with his despicable family, which he no longer felt he was a part of. He had always used to cover one of his eyes like his family, but with time he really preferred that hairstyle as it was easier to hide he was one of them. There was also the fact that his eyebrows were different than the rest of his family’s so he felt more strongly that he was, as his father said, a failure. Sanji was well over that feeling of inferiority since Luffy and the crew had really helped him to overcome that trauma, but one could say that the hair was a vestige of everything that had befallen in his childhood.

“No, I don’t want to. With seeing just one eye is fine,” Sanji said finishing the conversation completely, but Luffy was never one to stop for simple words.

“Awww, come on. I’m sure you look even prettier when your hair is not in the way,” Luffy said with a pout and he was so tricky sometimes.

Upon hearing that Sanji could only blush as he hadn’t thought that the reason why Luffy wanted to see his eyes was because of that. Still, he wouldn’t fall for it so he refused again.

“No, I don’t like to show people my eyes, so leave me alone.”

“But I’m not just people. I’m your captain, someone important, and this is a direct order! Show me!”

Luffy got in those menacing stances he used when he was using his power as a pirate, a yonko, and then the Pirate King, but Sanji wasn’t falling for that because yes, he was his captain, but this was only about hair and some eyes so he wasn’t going to give in.

“No, I already said I don’t want to. Go look into Bacon’s eyes if you’re so interested. I’m sure he’ll like it,” Sanji said while going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

“No, Sanji, I want to see your eyes ’cause I’m dead sure they are so beautiful when you stare at them at the same time,” Luffy said and Sanji felt his neck and ears getting hot.

Sanji’s heart went crazy with those words and almost as if Luffy had cast a spell on him he surrendered and brought a hand to his hair to put aside the lock that covered his left eye. Under the heavy stare of Luffy he moved his hair to the left and lifted it a little so Luffy could see. Sanji’s entire face was red and it only got worse when he saw that Luffy’s face had a blush too and sparkling eyes.

“Wow, you really are so pretty. Damn, what the hell, Sanji?”

Sanji couldn’t even react in some way to what Luffy was saying and the captain ran his fingers gently over his forehead as if absorbing something he hadn’t seen before. Sanji didn’t want to think about it that way, but it was like Luffy was conquering a new place like he had done with the whole world a few months back.

When Luffy was seemingly done examining his skin, eyebrows and eyes he said, “You should show your eyes more often. They are really beautiful.”

“I still don’t want to show them to anyone else,” Sanji said putting the blond lock back in place.

“Then show them only to me. I would love to see your eyes more than once,” Luffy said with a smile and a blush still adorning his face.

Sanji didn’t know what got into him, but he couldn’t help it and said, “Only my mom has seen both eyes.”

It was like a confession so he felt weird once the words left his mouth. Sanji wanted to run somewhere to hide so the awkwardness of the situation wouldn’t continue, but Luffy only smiled wider and thanked him for the privilege of seeing his eyes.

“I’m glad I got to see them, Sanji,” Luffy said in a dreamy way and then asked for food and the moment was broken.

He cooked something quick while remaining completely distracted of what he was doing. In all truthfulness, Sanji knew that dinner that day was absolute trash, but Luffy didn’t say anything and just ate like nothing was wrong. From time to time he stared at him intently, but when Sanji looked up from his dish, he looked down or talked to Bacon that was in the chair next to him. There was definitely a strange sensation in the atmosphere and Sanji didn’t know how to make it stop.

After they finished with the food Sanji stood up to wash the dirty dishes, but Luffy said he would do it instead. He let him do it and just went to change into his pajamas since he was really tired and when he was in his bed he saw Luffy changing too. He did it rapidly and he went to look for Bacon to the dining room and put him in the bed.

Then Luffy sat in the bed and got closer to Sanji that was already lying staring at the roof. For some reason he felt really shy that day and he preferred if they just went to sleep immediately, but Luffy apparently didn’t want that as he signalized with his hands for him to rest his head in his thigh. Sanji didn’t see a reason for that, but Luffy kept doing that sign. He asked Luffy what he wanted and Luffy couldn’t surprise him more than this.

“I want to touch your hair for some time until you fall asleep,” he said like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Sanji only blushed because he didn’t think it was necessary so he said, “Why would you want that? We can just sleep.”

“I don’t know. I just feel like it. Kinda reminds me of Bacon, I guess.” Luffy shrugged easily and got closer to him.

“I’m not a cat! I don’t need to be petted!” Sanji exclaimed since he didn’t like the comparison too much.

“Yeah, you aren’t, but your hair is soft like one. Though if you don’t want to do it it’s okay too,” he gave him one last final look and Sanji didn’t know what to do.

There was something in Luffy’s eyes that was inviting him to just let him be and touch him even if it sounded stupid, but at the end Sanji just gave up and rested his head in Luffy’s thigh. He heard how Luffy chuckled because he wasn’t looking at him. The captain didn’t take long to run his fingers through his hair and as he caressed him he commented how good it looked short like that.

At first Sanji was nervous and embarrassed too, but in no time he closed his eyes and relaxed under Luffy’s touch and words. He felt every side of his head as if seeing where it was shorter. Sanji’s hair was shorter close to his neck and the upper part was a little longer but not that much. The only long lock was his fringe that now covered his left eye, revealing the right eye naturally.

Sanji didn’t know how long passed, but at some point he began dozing off and his last thoughts were about Luffy’s hands and how they played softly with his hair and his voice and how he seemed to be marveled by him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see here start the differences so I must say that the next chapters are my favorite so far!  
> Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic!  
> Warning: spoilers for Whole Cake Island!   
> I hope you guys like it and thanks for reading as always!

20.

 

Two days after Sanji got the new haircut he decided that he needed to do something since Luffy was like transfixed on him and that couldn’t continue. Luffy followed him all day long around the house and the restaurant and he didn’t get out to explore the city with Bacon. Of course he was annoying everyone as he ate things without permission while he stared at him continuously throughout the whole day.

Sanji tried to get him to stop, but Luffy wasn’t listening and he determined that the only way to halt his absurd actions was to entertain him with something else. He didn’t know why exactly Luffy was behaving like that with him, going after him like a lost puppy and whenever he asked him what his problem was not even him knew it so that left Sanji confused.

After giving the idea some thought he decided it was good and it was something he had actually contemplated for some time. Sanji understood that he needed to train to remain strong even if danger wasn’t close and his strength was still unparalleled by many and for that reason he wanted to spar with Luffy. He knew that if he told Luffy that they would become rusty if they stayed unmoving like that he would get interested in the idea soon enough and would finally leave him alone. Sanji really liked Luffy’s company and his presence in his life was undeniably heartwarming, but he also needed his space and in these two days having him so close was unnerving too.

Sanji knew he had to make it seem like it was going to be super interesting to spar between them, but he needed to tell Luffy that they would only spar and not go all out or they could destroy the entire city like that. So, when he finally asked Luffy if he wanted to train with him in the backyard behind the house he made sure to make every detail clear. As he had expected Luffy accepted happily and that way they would begin sparring together tomorrow morning.

Something Sanji hadn’t expected was to still have Luffy by his side the whole freaking day that remained. When they went to sleep Luffy caressed his hair softly just like the first time and he really enjoyed it, but he wanted his captain to be back to normal and to hug him in the night as usual.

The next day they woke up at six a.m. to seize the morning completely. Sanji wore more informal clothes to the ones he used and Luffy wore just a short leaving his torso exposed. After breakfast they went to the backyard with Bacon behind them seemingly lost as to what they were going to do.

They were in front of each other and Sanji explained how they would spar. He said again that they weren’t going to go all out as they could harm the restaurant and the city if they were careless. He told Luffy the rules that determined that the winner was the one that brought to the ground the other faster or the one that managed to push the other outside a circle that he drew with a stick.

When Luffy understood the rules they got in positions to start. Sanji counted up to three and Luffy launched with force towards him while he threw a kick to his side. They couldn’t land a hit and they were going to continue until Bacon got in the way for some reason and they had to stop their sparring. The cat mewed and Sanji didn’t know what he wanted, but Luffy interpreted that he thought they were fighting for real so he picked him up and reassured him that they were only playing and they wouldn’t get hurt.

The cat gave one last sad meow and continued to observe them. Luffy commented how cute Bacon was and even Sanji had to agree with that since he was really loyal. After that they resumed training and they lunged towards each other with intent but nothing too brutal or violent. Luffy in his own way gave it his all and Sanji did the same so it was fun for both.

Sanji noticed that Luffy was so into the fight that luckily for him he didn’t keep staring at him and his hair not even once. He was glad for it because Luffy seemed to shine while punching and kicking. It was rather strange for Sanji to think of something like that when Luffy was competing against him, but he felt so glad to see him use all his strength. For Sanji, whenever Luffy showed how powerful he truly was he felt a shiver run down his spine since he knew that it was one of the things he did best. It was like his admiration for his captain bloomed when he saw him fighting.

One hour passed and they really weren’t giving an inch so neither had lost. They continued fighting and Sanji knew that they could last for days with this so he tried to speed up things a little and jumped high in the sky when Luffy was kind of distracted. Sanji lifted his leg in all its extension and was about to kick Luffy when he looked up at him and Sanji just couldn’t do it.

He had a flashback of the time they had fought in Whole Cake Island. Well, not really, he was the one that had kicked time and time again Luffy until he even lost a tooth and the captain only yelled at him to go back to the Sunny with him and the crew. Sanji stopped midair and Luffy stared at him worriedly. He asked him what was wrong, but he felt weird for thinking of that when it had been three years since that had happened.  

Sanji thought that everything was alright between him and Luffy, but sometimes his tricky mind proportioned him paranoid ideas where Luffy was still mad at him for hitting him. He hadn’t even apologized and yet Luffy seemed not to care and had never demanded it so it was safe to assume that things were really fine, but this time he got in those states where he was nervous and couldn’t think straight.

Luffy approached him and asked again if he had a problem so Sanji blurted out an apology, but he couldn’t listen to it and he had to repeat himself without thinking it twice.

“I’m sorry.”

It was a short sentence and Sanji could feel the desperation in his own voice. He understood that it didn’t make any sense for him to say sorry after so many years, but it was like he had to do it. It had been months since the last time he felt guilty for having kicked and mistreated Luffy like that when he had bowed to follow him and respect him. In his worst nights Sanji got overly anxious that he had done things wrong and that they couldn’t be fixed, but in the past months he had felt well. He had the impression that Luffy’s company helped him with that, but it was weird that he had recalled something that had happened after such a long time now.

“What are you sorry about? It was only a kick,” Luffy said trying to calm him, but he didn’t want to stop.

“I shouldn’t have treated you that way. I’m sorry,” Sanji said while looking at Luffy.

“We were sparring, Sanji. What other way is there?”

“I mean back when I really kicked you, when I made you lose your tooth. When we were in Whole Cak-“

“That doesn’t matter!” Luffy interrupted him and exclaimed loudly. He put both hands in his shoulders and said, “It doesn’t matter because you were lying and it never hurt me. You were the one that was hurt, not me.”

“But…” Sanji tried, but once again Luffy didn’t let him.

“But nothing! I thought we were over this already.”    

Sanji knew that himself. He comprehended that he shouldn’t even bring up the topic and yet he still wanted to apologize properly. “I know that, but I never said sorry and I think you deserve it ’cause I got you and the crew in a big mess.”

“We are your friends so we don’t care if you get us in a big mess! If you are fine then we are fine too,” Luffy said and Sanji was starting to relax. Then Luffy without warning launched towards him to hug him and added, “If you are alright, Sanji, then I’m alright too. Never forget that, okay?”

He hugged him back tightly and preferred to focus in Luffy’s soothing words instead of how his heart beat rapidly. He sighed and relaxed in Luffy’s embrace like always. When he felt calmer he nodded and said, “I know and thank you, captain, really thank you.”

Luffy chuckled well-naturedly and ruffled Sanji’s hair with care. He knew that it was his way of saying that he understood and that it was okay so he let him even if the whole point of the training was for Luffy to forget about his hair.

…………………………........

Since yesterday they didn’t have a clear winner they continued sparring the next day. They woke up early and went to train to the backyard with Bacon behind them. They wore clothes similar to the ones they used yesterday and they put in positions to begin quickly. Sanji counted up to three to start and as always Luffy lunged rapidly with the intention to strike him. He moved fast to the left to avoid an attack and then lifted his right leg to kick Luffy by the side.

Luffy avoided that too and moved to the opposite end of the circle like thinking what his next move would be. This time it was Sanji the one that approached first and with a kick to gain impulse he went up to get faster to Luffy’s side. He could have tried to kick Luffy from the air, but it reminded him too much of yesterday so he opted to land close to him and direct a move from there.

When he was back in the ground in short seconds he lifted his right leg again and kicked Luffy, but the hit didn’t land because he dived. Then and since Sanji’s leg was still extended, before he could retract it to its normal position, Luffy stood up suddenly and grabbed him by that leg. Sanji struggled to free the leg, but Luffy held it with force. Sanji was losing balance and Luffy tried to push him by the leg, but he stopped for some reason and instead of letting go of the leg he moved his hands upwards to his thighs.

Sanji was confused by what Luffy was doing and before he could say something he felt how Luffy squeezed his leg softly. He was more than confused now and he wanted to ask what the hell he was doing, but Luffy spoke up.

“Your legs are really strong, aren’t they?” Luffy said while pinching his leg with care as if only feeling the muscles and how they were.

Sanji felt embarrassed, but for some reason he wasn’t as abashed as he would have expected. It was like having Luffy feeling him wasn’t as problematic as he would have thought.

“I only kick people so they have grown strong. I think it’s obvious though, or you haven’t noticed before?” Sanji said while regaining balance even if Luffy still held his leg. Also, he had to admit that he was interested in Luffy’s answer.

“Yeah, I have, but it’s the first time I actually touch them so it’s different, I guess,” Luffy said and with that he let go of his leg much to Sanji’s disappointment.

It was weird to feel disappointment for something like that, but Sanji didn’t want to think too deeply into it so when both were in their positions again they resumed with their training session. They were in front of each other and they started with the fight in the same fashion as the previous matches with both trying to strike quickly.

Neither could actually land a hit properly and they only dived or avoided contact. At most some pushes were achieved, but more than that was yet to be seen. Probably getting tired of the situation, Luffy extended his arms with the power of his rubber body and surrounded Sanji with them before closing any form for him to escape. Rapidly Luffy’s arms enveloped Sanji in a strong embrace and he didn’t know how to get out of the grip.

Sanji had been rather careless for he hadn’t thought that Luffy would use his ability like that. In the two days of sparring Luffy hadn’t used his special techniques and Sanji hadn’t either so he thought they wouldn’t apply them, but he had been wrong. Possibly Luffy had avoided using them so he could lead him into thinking that he wouldn’t to then strike him with them without warning. It was pretty clever, but in fights Luffy was known for those kinds of schemes and yet Sanji had forgotten about it; he had grown rusty in a couple of months.   

Without much to do Sanji waited to fall with Luffy on top of him. Luffy pushed him to the ground and down both fell, but with Luffy always above him indicating that he was the legitimate winner of this round. Sanji didn’t fell with too much force for Luffy’s arms cushioned the impact. When his back was touching the floor Luffy let go of him and his arms were back to their normal positions.

Sanji thought he would stand up immediately, but he didn’t. Instead, he only incorporated a little while straddling him. Luffy had a big smile while he said that he was the winner. Then out of nowhere he touched Sanji’s arms with his hands as if measuring the strength in them like he had done before with his legs. Sanji didn’t know what to say to Luffy’s new found interest in his body so he stayed quiet until Luffy spoke up. He actually didn’t mind that he was touching him to be honest.

“Your arms are really strong too. I thought they would be weaker ’cause you never fight with them,” Luffy said while still feeling them and it was obvious he was curious about them.

“That’s because I’m a cook. I need to have strength in them to prepare food. You know why I don’t use them so it’s nothing new,” Sanji said and for some strange reason he wanted to say that he had strength in his arms to prepare food for Luffy, but there was something too personal in that statement so he preferred to keep silent about it.

“Of course I know, but it’s also cool to know that you are so strong there so you can cook things for me,” Luffy said as if speaking whatever first came to his mind because he really looked distracted while testing the force of Sanji’s arms.

Sanji for his part blushed and said, “I don’t only cook for you, but…but,” he tried to say something else, but he really couldn’t.

He knew that it was like admitting that he only prepared food for Luffy if he kept quiet, but he didn’t know what else to say to make Luffy understand that it wasn’t like that. Sanji only observed Luffy for a short while and when it seemed Luffy got bored of examining the muscles in his arms, he expected for the captain to stand up. He didn’t and from staring at his arms he looked at him directly in the eyes with something mysterious behind them.

He got closer to him and said, “Sanji, who do you think is stronger between us?”

The question was so unexpected that he really didn’t know what to say. Sanji’s pride back in the past would have demanded of him to prove with brute force that undoubtedly he was stronger, but now he felt lightheaded so he spoke up with a small smile something he would never have thought would come out of his mouth.

“Luffy is probably stronger, but don’t tell him I said that, okay?” Accompanying his smile a blush was there too, but it was like he didn’t mind anymore.

Luffy chuckled and then said, “Okay, I won’t tell him that. It’s our secret.”

He winked and after that piece of conversation Luffy stood up and helped him up. Sanji looked at a clock he had brought to see how long they could spar and noticed that it was time to hit the shower and prepare for the opening of the restaurant. When they were going upstairs they realized that Bacon wasn’t even there and Luffy grew worried that he got bored of seeing them fight so he went to look for him and found him fast sleeping in a tree.

The cat seemed to be really calm and content to be there so Luffy let him be. He went up with him to the house and commented that the sparring session had been tons of fun with a wide smile. Sanji nodded and was about to enter the bathroom when he felt that Luffy was behind him touching the back of his head. He didn’t have to ask what he was doing because Luffy beat him to it.

“Your hair got dirty there. Wash it carefully,” he said and Sanji’s heart did that weird leap it sometimes did for an unknown reason.

When he went inside the bathroom he splashed water in his face and turned the faucet of the shower on. When the water was lukewarm he stood below the stream and stayed there without doing anything wondering what the hell all that had happened was about. Sanji tried to calm his thoughts since he was going in overdrive. He was so lost about what he was feeling, but at the end he decided that it was better to let things be because he seriously didn’t have a good explanation to anything that was going on. Hopefully, with time he would understand his strange reaction, but now he felt it was too soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so the next two chapters are my favorite so stay tuned for them!  
> They are probably the things I have liked to write the most about actually so I hope you guys enjoy it when the time comes too!  
> Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy gets a tattoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter! I must say that I have waited so long to post this chapter because it's been ready for some time.  
> I love tattoos actually and I had been wanting to write about them!  
> Not everything is as described here, but I still tried to make it somehow believable.  
> As always thanks for reading!

21.

 

They had sparred for some days and Luffy was seemingly distracted by the rush of fighting since he wasn’t as interested in his hair anymore. He still touched it from time to time, but at least he didn’t stay the whole day next to him in the restaurant. Sanji believed that Luffy was probably letting out a lot of energy sparring with him since he only focused on the strength of his body when they were fighting and it wasn’t bothersome to him even if it was like he examined him.

One thing that was indeed bothersome for Sanji was that Luffy was back in town to explore, but as always that led him to strange activities and now he wanted a tattoo. Yes, a freaking tattoo. If Sanji would have known he would like to get one after seeing a festival of tattoos in the city, he wouldn’t have let him out.

It wasn’t like Sanji was against tattoos and if he was honest he had thought that Luffy would get one much faster considering he was the King of the Pirates, but having him annoying him endlessly for one was exasperating. In the first place they cost a good amount of money, something Luffy clearly didn’t have so that meant he would be the one that would end up paying. Second, and this was by far the worst, was that Luffy didn’t want just a tattoo for him. No, he wanted matching tattoos for both and not just any type of matching tattoos either. He tried to convince him many times of getting matching tattoos of Bacon and Sanji just wasn’t up for that shit.

There was simply no way in hell he would get a matching tattoo of _a cat_ with Luffy. There was simply no way and after much struggle from his part he clarified Luffy that he wouldn’t get one, especially if it was of Bacon. Luffy had begged and pleaded and started a big show in front of the whole staff so at the end gave up and told him that he would pay for a tattoo only for Luffy but that he wouldn’t get one. With that Luffy seemed to be content enough and didn’t annoy him more than that.

Luffy went the Sunday to the tattoo parlor in hopes of getting his first tattoo with a lot of money from Sanji. He had expected for Luffy to come back all sore with a tattoo of Bacon in his wrist, but that couldn’t happen because the shop was closed on Sundays so they would be going again tomorrow together and that was what led them to the place today Monday.

The whole way to the parlor Luffy related Sanji how awesome the tattoos he had seen at the festival had been and that he needed to get one to be just as cool. Sanji listened without paying much attention and as usual preferred to check if pretty women were around and of course there were, but strangely enough he didn’t feel like approaching them.

In their way some people greeted them because now the folks knew them. It was a combination of the people that Sanji had met in his dates (even if they were short) with Aaron and the people Luffy met in his outings alone. Sanji had thought that perhaps the people that knew Aaron would dislike him since they broke up, but they were still as nice after that and only said that it was a shame that things hadn’t worked out. Other than that no one commented anything else and treated him just as always and said that they would go to his restaurant later on.

When they arrived at the shop they entered a place that thankfully looked clean because Sanji would never allow Luffy to get a tattoo in a place that was dirty. Luffy yelled loudly as a greeting and they were received by the owner of the place that said hi to Luffy and him. Luffy had spoken wonders about this young guy that had his arms and the visible skin of his neck covered in tattoos of all colors. There was something in the way they talked that Sanji didn’t like too much, but if Luffy wanted to get a tattoo he was no one to stop him.

The guy introduced himself as Roque to Sanji and said that he already knew his name because Luffy had talked about him so much he felt he had met him. Sanji felt somehow proud of that, but opted to stay quiet and see what else was about this guy. Roque asked Luffy what he was going to get and where so he could begin a design. Sanji expected for Luffy to describe something stupid of Bacon, but none of that came and instead an idea much different was presented.

Luffy said he would want something related to fire since it represented his brothers and that he would like it placed in his ribs. Sanji was the most surprised in the shop because the tattoo artist just nodded and called Luffy to work on the idea together. Roque warned Luffy that if he got the tattoo in his ribs it would hurt more than at other places like the wrists or the legs, but the captain said that he didn’t care about pain and that wanted it there since he thought it would look cool.

Roque told Sanji to sit in a couch to wait, but he couldn’t as he was too interested and worried about the tattoo so he was by Luffy’s side. They talked about the design for the tattoo and while Roque worked on it, Luffy told Sanji that he wanted to keep it a surprise for him so he sent him to sit. Sanji didn’t want to, but Luffy kept pushing him away with a smirk and he had to go at the end with a scowl while Roque had a weird look as if entertained about the whole thing.

The two men talked amicably about this and that and when Roque had a question regarding the design he asked Luffy for corrections of what he wanted. Sanji could sense that they were getting along really well and he was having flashbacks to when Luffy started to like John for the way he laughed. In Luffy’s voice there was a special mirth and Sanji got kind of angry for some reason.

He waited in silence for some time until Roque said the design was ready and showed it to Luffy who exclaimed happily that it was the coolest thing in the world. With that Roque told Luffy that he would get the supplies ready and initiate the preparations for his skin. He also asked him if he had eaten and Luffy said between laughs that he wouldn’t be awake if it wasn’t like that.

When it had become obvious that they were flirting and Sanji couldn’t feel more like the third wheel a young woman appeared. She was gorgeous and Sanji was about to start with his usual chants of eternal love, but the woman approached the tattoo artist and kissed him in the lips like in a greeting. The man smiled in the kiss and signalized to Luffy that smiled at the couple and said hi to the woman like he knew her from before.

Roque explained to the woman what Luffy would be getting and the woman got excited. Then she finally seemed to notice that Sanji was there and went to greet him too. She said that she had wanted to meet him since Luffy talked about him so much that she was interested in this “friend that always helped him” as she put it. It was kind of embarrassing for Sanji, but he only smiled and didn’t say anything.

After that Roque guided Luffy to a room where he would work and Sanji followed them. Luffy took out his red vest and the man told him to lie on his right side on a stretcher so he could tattoo over his ribs by the left side. Luffy made him wait in a chair so he couldn’t see the design but that he could also stay with him in case it really did hurt, though Sanji didn’t think he would feel too much pain considering how strong he was.

The woman named Tea, like Sanji later learned, served him coffee while Roque prepared Luffy’s skin. Sanji saw how the man put some papers over Luffy’s skin and seemed to trace the design on it beforehand. After that he picked the needle and started tracing the outlines of the tattoo from what Sanji could understand, though he wasn’t seeing anything and he would be lying if he said he actually knew what Roque was doing. He was more preoccupied about Luffy and how he was faring.

At first Luffy had seemed surprised by the sensation of the needle working in his skin, but then he started laughing like he was being tickled and Roque had to wait to continue since he was moving too much. They tried again after a while so Luffy could stop laughing so much, but when Roque put the needle against his skin he began laughing again. Since Luffy was unstoppable when laughing, Roque told Sanji to control him.

Sanji took the chair and sat by the stretcher where Luffy lay on his right side. Roque tried again, but Luffy kept laughing so Sanji grabbed Luffy’s right hand and held it so he could focus on something else. Luffy still had a smile when Roque traced the design with the needle, but he looked at their intertwined hands and seemed to relax at the touch.

When the laughter seemed to be back again Luffy held his hand more strongly, but when it ebbed he ran his thumb over Sanji’s hand. Sanji liked the feeling of it, but he was still interested in the design of the tattoo and tried to sneak peek whenever Luffy wasn’t looking at him. He still caught him and ordered for him to only look at his eyes or their hands. The captain was demanding, but he thought it was a rather funny command so he followed it.

Almost four hours went by and Sanji was getting bored and tired of holding Luffy’s hand so he looked in the direction of where Tea was. She was attending some other costumers from what he could see. She was another tattoo artist and had this shop with Roque that was his husband. She had come later because she had to go to the bank to do something from what they told him. As he had thought before she was really beautiful and if it wasn’t because she already had someone he would have flirted with her instantly, but since it wasn’t like that he didn’t do anything other than from time to time look at her. When he was bored looking between her and the walls he heard Luffy speaking.

“I said to look at my eyes or my hands, Sanji.”

In Luffy’s voice there was evident reproach, but he didn’t understand why he was like that. It wasn’t like he was going to actually do something with Tea and in his defense at the time he was only staring at the walls. He wasn’t that much of a bastard to flirt with a married woman and in front of his husband. If the husband was a shithead and he was going to save her from such an awful marriage then it was an option, but Sanji was sure that they were a happy couple because she always came to see the work Roque was doing and gave him courage.

For that reason Sanji got kind of mad at Luffy so he was about to tell him something petty when Roque put the needle down and said that the tattoo was done. Luffy was about to stand up, but Roque stopped him and indicated to wait until he could clean it. Roque put a hand to hide the tattoo from Sanji’s eyes and started cleaning the skin with water and soap. When he was done with that he took a paper towel and patted it over the tattoo with care.

He still hid the tattoo with the paper and called for Tea so she could hand him a mirror and Luffy could see the finished work. When Tea gave him the mirror he positioned it in front of Luffy’s ribs and then took away the paper and revealed the tattoo to Luffy and Sanji. Sanji could only hear Luffy saying how much he liked the tattoo, but he was so focused and at the same time distracted on the image ingrained, drawn, marked on his captain’s skin that his mind wasn’t processing anything he said.

Before he could think about it, Sanji said the first thought that appeared in his brain.

“I love it.”

Sanji’s eyes couldn’t leave Luffy’s inked skin and he was astonished. The tattoo consisted of fire, but it was clearly dedicated to Luffy’s brothers as in the middle of where the flames were produced, a fist could be seen. The fist was of the same color as the flames, but the lines that drew it were black and it was easy to identify it like that. Outside of the fist the flames that formed it ran around wildly up to probably 12 centimeters and to the sides about seven centimeters too. The combination of the colors red, yellow, orange and a bit of white was superb even if Sanji didn’t know a thing about color theory. However, the sweetest part was that outside the fire, in red and orange letters, the tattoo that Ace used to have was there, but it didn’t have the “s” or the “a” scratched and it only read “ASCE”. It was Luffy’s own way to say that they were both alive with him and Sanji thought that it was really kind of him.

He stayed quiet and he actually wasn’t listening to anything. His heart throbbed and he lifted his hand to touch the inked skin. He was about to feel it when a hand got in the way and didn’t allow him.

“No touching yet! At least for one week, after that you can touch wherever you want,” Roque said in playful tone and Sanji woke up from his trance.

He looked at Luffy that for some reason seemed shy and had a small blush. Only then Sanji noticed that for all the while he stared at the tattoo examining it Luffy hadn’t said anything. He still put his hand in Luffy’s hip and he seemed to get more timid, but he didn’t say he was uncomfortable by that and had a small smile.

Then Roque started giving Luffy the instructions for the tattoo as he put a plastic wrap over the skin. Sanji wasn’t listening to what the man was saying and he knew that Luffy wasn’t either because when he shifted his gaze from the tattoo to Luffy’s face he saw that he was staring intently at him. At the end Roque sighed and said that he would give him the instructions written.

When he was ready covering the tattoo he called for Luffy loudly and both seemed to snap out of it. When he had their attention he gave other indications to Luffy. “You have to take out this wrap after four hours and wash it with care like it’s written there,” Roque said while signaling to the paper Luffy had. Then he added, “Also, only _you_ can touch the tattoo for this week and no physical activity of any kind for at least four days, okay?”

Luffy nodded and Roque said that he still thought that since his body was made of rubber it wouldn’t take long before the tattoo healed as it didn’t ooze too much blood in the process, but that he didn’t want to risk it and produce an infection. After that Luffy got down from the stretcher, put on his vest and they went back to the drawing room to pay.

Sanji was the one that paid for everything as expected and while the tattoo cost quite a lot he still felt like putting more Bellies in there as a way to thank the man. It didn’t make much sense and when he tried Roque looked at him funnily and shook his head with a smile. He rejected the extra cash and repeated to Luffy that he couldn’t do any type of physical activity for four days. Luffy said that it was a bummer that they wouldn’t be able to spar for those days and Sanji felt the same.

Sanji noticed how Roque and Tea, that was there too, exchanged a look, but didn’t say anything. He got curious of what they could be talking about, but he felt too lightheaded to actually ask and care so he left the tattoo parlor with Luffy after waving goodbye to the couple and thanking them for the good job.

On their way back to the house where Bacon waited for them, Sanji still had his head on the clouds and was unable to think past Luffy’s tattoo and how the red, orange and yellow colors matched so well with his tanned skin. It was like he was walking on autopilot and Luffy looked timid for an unknown reason.

When they arrived at the house Sanji prepared lunch since a lot of time had passed and it was the afternoon already. Luffy ate happily seemingly being past his shyness and when they were done he told him to take it easy and rest. He reassured him that he would wake him for the time he had to take off the wrap and with that Luffy went to sleep to his bed with Bacon behind him.

After he washed all the dishes and pans he had used for lunch Sanji went to splash water on his face. He felt as if the fire that was drawn in Luffy’s skin was actually inked and alive in his instead and he didn’t know how to turn it off.

……………………………..

Past the four days that Roque said Luffy couldn’t do physical activity, he was itching to move. The very same moment the fourth day began Luffy wanted to spar, but since it was 12 a.m. and Sanji had responsibilities, they couldn’t fight. He promised Luffy to train later on the morning like normal people and he hadn’t been too happy with the offer, but he seriously wasn’t going to get up from the bed to throw kicks in the air and receive punches. He wasn’t a boxing sack anyway.

The main problem with Luffy though, was that his healing process was enhanced since he was made of rubber. That meant that the scabbing that Roque had explained would begin in the fourth to fifth day started on the second day instead. The same went for the itching that was supposed to begin at the week after getting the tattoo, but that began the third day so Luffy was impossibly more annoying than ever. He was tempted to peel off the scabs even when the tattoo artist had warned him not to and he wanted to scratch the skin of the tattoo too.

Sanji had to look over him all day so he wouldn’t get it dirty and thus infected and of course that meant that Luffy provoked disaster after disaster in the kitchen. If he was bothersome when he was in his best state what could be expected for a time where he had a big scar even if it was beautiful? A very annoying captain, obviously, because he never learned how to be quiet in his 22 years of being alive.

Still, Sanji couldn’t deny that despite everything he liked to have Luffy around. Even if the scabs appeared early on somehow he still liked to see the tattoo and it wasn’t like Luffy made it hard for him either. As instructed in the paper Roque had given Luffy, it was better if he wore clothes that didn’t rub against the sore skin, but since Luffy was Luffy he preferred to not use anything at all and went around with the tattoo showing everywhere. At first Sanji hadn't liked one bit that he was shirtless in the restaurant considering he still had to watch over him, but in no time he decided that he didn’t care how he was since at least he got to see the pretty tattoo. It was kind of weird to have him in the kitchen like that, but Sanji was the boss and if he allowed it then no one could defy him.   

When it was six in the morning of the Friday for the first time in years Luffy was the one that woke up first. He shook Sanji and it wasn’t like he was a heavy sleeper, but Luffy was so impatient that he couldn’t wait until he opened his eyes and threw Bacon at him to get him up. Sanji wanted to kill him for that and Bacon had the same murderous aura of his. Luffy apologized and demanded breakfast. Sanji prepared it quickly and after that they went to train to the backyard.

They began the same process of throwing the other outside the circle they had drawn the other days. Either that or they pushed and pulled to get the other to fall. Sanji tried to be gentler with Luffy since he could still have problems with the tattoo. Luffy noticed this, got mad and said that he wasn’t giving it his all. He insisted a lot in that he wanted a fair fight and Sanji had to give in and attacked with force.

He managed to get Luffy to fall so that determined that he was the winner of that round. In the general counting Luffy was winning by three matches, but now it was only for two. Sanji helped him up and noticed that the tattoo had almost gotten dirty with soil and both freaked out. He wanted to shake off the dust, but he knew that he couldn’t touch the tattoo so he only felt the down side of it and tried to clean it a little with care.

He went with Luffy to the bathroom and he washed the skin softly like Roque had instructed him. For some reason Sanji had been holding Luffy by the waist the entire time he cleaned his skin and when they realized that they were in such close contact they separated rapidly. It was awkward, but they brushed it off and they talked about the possibilities of continuing with the sparring session.

Sanji was of the idea that if he had almost dirtied the tattoo then the same could happen a second time so he preferred if they stopped altogether. Luffy for his part said that he would put a shirt on but that he needed to move since the itching was killing him. He needed a distraction for the irritation and Sanji understood it since he was never patient, but it was dangerous to have him get the tattoo in a bad state.

Sanji didn’t know what to do when an idea popped up in his head. They could still move even if it didn’t meant they would fight, right? Sanji offered Luffy to simply do some exercises indoors and he didn’t look too happy with it, but at the end he gave up with a pout.

They began with stretches and even Sanji was bored of how mundane the whole thing was, but he couldn’t show his disappointment to Luffy so he stuck to the routine. When they shifted their weight from one leg to the other with the arms following the motion, Sanji noticed how Luffy’s tattoo moved with the shift of his muscles. It wasn’t like the tattoo was as beautiful as the first time since it was still healing, but he had to admit that somehow it marveled him.

It was like he knew that at some point, if he waited with forbearance, the tattoo would be much prettier and he would witness it. It was strange to think of it that way, but he really didn’t care. When they changed to another stretch Sanji kept observing Luffy’s body. While Luffy grabbed his arm to stretch it in the opposite direction Sanji could see how the ink seemed to move and extend in the skin. Even if it was sore and irritated, Sanji still liked it and wanted to see it for a long time.

He thought he was being careful and was unperceived as he was counting the seconds the stretches lasted out loud, but Luffy scared him to death with what he said.

“You’ve been staring at me for too long. Something wrong with my tattoo?”

Luffy stopped doing the stretch and looked at him with a curious face. Sanji didn’t know where to hide and Luffy’s stare didn’t help either. If he knew that it would end up like this then he wouldn’t have done anything in the first place, but he was enchanted by the tattoo. It was a situation similar to when Luffy couldn’t stop caressing and looking at his hair. Both things didn’t have a proper explanation and were kind of embarrassing.

Since he didn’t know what to say, Sanji spluttered an answer. “No, nothing wrong with it. I was just thinking that it was really cool.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but Sanji knew that it wasn’t exactly for that reason that he was looking at it so much. It was something deeper, but he just didn’t understand it.

Luffy seemed to like what he said and with a smile told him, “Oh, so you’re thinking of getting one? It would look really cool if it was in your shoulder blade, you know?”

And that was how Sanji decided that he would get a tattoo in the shoulder blade because at the end of the day captain’s orders were irrefutable and he was a great crew member and cook, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is my favorite I think so stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji gets a tattoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's the continuation of the last chapter! I think it's probably my favorite so I hope you guys like it as well!  
> This week will be special because I'll post two chapters! It'll be two special chapters so the first will be posted on Wednesday and the other on Sunday as usual.  
> As always thanks for reading!

22. 

 

If one were to ask Sanji how the idea appeared in his mind, he would say it was something that came up to him suddenly, but that he thought about it thoroughly and only after that he decided to get a tattoo. No one needed to know that the embarrassment he felt over Luffy finding him staring at his tattoo so much was what provoked him to get one too. It definitely wasn’t because Luffy had said it would look cool. Maybe at first it had been because of that, but after an hour or so it was all on Sanji. The decision had been his and his alone; no captain thinking he would look cool involved.

Luffy had gotten excited about the tattoo immediately and had wanted to go to the parlor at that moment, but Sanji needed at least a day to think it through. However, something in the way Luffy stared at him with a hidden emotion made him think that the idea wasn’t only an idea and it was more of a plan so he decided that he needed the day to tell Christina that he would be out for the next day so she could be in charge.

That was how Sanji and Luffy were going to the tattoo studio twice in that week. He wasn’t scared that it would be painful as he was actually just afraid that it wouldn’t look nearly as cool or beautiful as Luffy’s own tattoo. What if his skin didn’t look that great and he only got something awful for the rest of his life? He trusted in Roque’s work, but he didn’t know how his skin would react to the ink. He should have asked the artist or searched about the topic beforehand, but he was already on his way so there was no going back now. He couldn’t look like a coward in front of his captain anyway.

When they arrived to the tattoo parlor it was still rather early and they were just opening the shop. Roque received them and asked Luffy worriedly if something had gone wrong with his tattoo, but he shook his head and pointed a thumb over his shoulder to Sanji and said that this time he would be the one getting a tattoo. The man looked surprised and Sanji had the impression he was asking him with his eyes if he really wanted to do this, but he had taken a decision so he wouldn’t change it now.

Then Roque called for Tea and when she saw that they were there he told her in a playful way that someone else wanted a tattoo too. She seemed just as surprised as Roque and they exchanged looks, but at the end they shrugged. With that Roque called Sanji to discuss about the design with Tea too. They told him that depending of his idea they were going to choose who was best suited to tattoo him.

Luffy wanted to listen to what he would do, but Sanji had warned him yesterday that it would be a surprise so he wouldn’t tell him. He sent Luffy to wait in the chairs like he had done with him the other time and he protested a lot, but he didn’t care. With Luffy out of earshot he sat at a table with the two artists and gave them his idea. It was somehow of a miracle that he already knew what he wanted or at least a general draft of it.

Sanji desired for the tattoo to be meaningful like Luffy’s. He didn’t think that tattoos had to hold a special meaning, but he felt it was right or better if his did have it. When he finished explaining the couple was amazed as in their opinion he had thought about the tattoo very specifically and had considered various details. Sanji seriously didn’t think it was that much of a deal, but when he opened his mouth after Luffy asked him if he wanted a tattoo too, the idea appeared in his head a few hours later.

After Roque and Tea planned the tattoo they finally decided that Tea would be the one that would work entirely on it, from the design to the actual inking. As Sanji was a lot more worried about how the final tattoo would look he was oddly uninterested about the fact that Tea, such a gorgeous woman, would be the one in charge. Even Luffy was startled that he wasn’t as excited as he normally would be with a woman of that level of beauty close to him.

The woman led Sanji to another room and told him to take off his shirt since he was going to get the tattoo in the left shoulder blade. He sat at a chair that had cushions and let the body facing in the reverse direction. The chair let his back exposed so Tea could work and he tried to relax while she prepared his skin. Luffy stayed in the waiting room talking with Roque and Sanji felt something strange as if he wanted him close like he had done the last time.

While Tea worked she asked him if he was nervous and he said he wasn’t even if he was freaking out about how the tattoo would look in the aftermath. Nevertheless, Sanji was actually feeling rather sad as he really wanted Luffy next to him. Tea kept working in his skin and when she began tracing the design she called for Luffy. He came almost running and tried to see the design, but Tea hid it with her hand without touching it and Luffy pouted.

Tea told Luffy to grab a chair and to hold Sanji’s hand for the time she took while working. Sanji didn’t think it was necessary for Luffy to hold his hand since he wasn’t scared of the pain and he wasn’t that ticklish either, but when he brought the chair and sat down he took his hand with a smile. The good thing about the chair was that it didn’t cover the face or blocked the view so Sanji could actually look at Luffy and their intertwined hands.

After that Tea picked the needle and she started inking the design. Sanji didn’t feel much pain and it was actually more like several ants were biting him, but nothing more hurtful than that. He saw how Luffy was expectant of his reaction to the needle and when the first traces were done and he was alright, he seemed to relax.

The sensation after a while became normal and ordinary so Sanji himself relaxed. He felt sleepy as Tea worked and not long took for Luffy to actually sleep. He still held Sanji’s hand, but he didn’t care because he just wanted to have him close. When the needle sometimes stung harder he squeezed Luffy’s hands and he woke up to check on him, but he said that he was fine and told him to just sleep so Luffy was in a constant loop of sleeping and waking throughout the whole process.

Four hours later Tea put the needle down and said that the tattoo was done. With that Luffy woke up and tried again to see the tattoo, but Tea didn’t allow him and covered it with her hand. Sanji felt how she washed the skin and after that she patted with paper towel the area of the tattoo. She had the paper towel hiding the tattoo for a short while and called for Roque to hand her the mirror so Sanji could see the final result.

Roque came fast and was in awe. He said that it was probably one of Tea’s best works and Luffy stood up quickly. Sanji heard how Luffy protested since apparently Tea covered the tattoo again. Then Roque got in front of Sanji with another mirror and Sanji saw how Tea revealed the tattoo through the reflection of the other mirror pointing to his back.

Just like he had hoped it was a beautiful combination of blues inside a pentagon drawn with black in his left shoulder blade. He was focused on the tattoo, but got distracted by Luffy rapidly. He was between him and his back so he could see his face and the tattoo with ease through the mirror. He wasn’t saying anything, but his face told everything Sanji needed to know. His eyes were wide and his cheeks had a blush. He was gasping and brought a hand to his hat.

Luffy went closer to his back and while he was going Sanji saw how he took out his hat. He stood there and in the position Sanji was currently in he couldn’t see his face anymore, but he still heard when he finally said something.

“Fuck…”

Sanji’s own eyes widened and he preferred to lower his face. He heard how Roque and Tea laughed and Luffy continued to speak.

“It’s amazing! It’s so beautiful. The colors… Are they…” Luffy said and the last part was obviously a question so he nodded as he understood what he was referring to.

“But why is it inside a pentagon?” Luffy asked again and Sanji didn’t want to explain the tattoo or at least that part in front of the couple.

It seemed they understood the situation and Tea said she needed to do something and went out with Roque. When they left them alone Sanji began telling Luffy about the tattoo and the idea behind it.

“The blue colors are for an obvious reason, but the pentagon it’s different,” Sanji said and gulped since he felt rather shy, but he still added, “I asked for a pentagon ’cause I wanted to show the important people in my life with it.”

Sanji had explained to Tea and Roque that he wanted a mix of several types of blue colors that resembled the sea inside a pentagon. He didn’t give much detail of what blues he wanted since he would be giving too much information of the All Blue, but he knew that they probably got where his idea came from and didn’t ask further than that either. The pentagon part was something he only requested but didn’t actually explain and they accepted and began with the design. Sanji couldn’t lie and he had to admit that he only wanted Luffy to know and comprehend the idea behind the pentagon.

He felt his face burning up and said, “Each vertex represents one special person that I love or that has accompanied me.”

He felt how Luffy got closer and pointed a finger while saying, “The one from the upper left side who is it?”

“It’s my mom,” Sanji said and when Luffy continued with the lower vertex of the left he told him, “That’s for my sister Reiju.”

Sanji felt how Luffy’s finger hovered close to his skin but never trying to actually touch it and asked who the one from the lower right side was.

“That one is for Zeff and the one from the upper side is the crew, our crew,” Sanji admitted and he felt how his heart’s frequency began speeding up.

Then he felt how Luffy’s finger went up to the vertex that was in the upper side to the middle and lingered there without saying anything. It seemed like he wanted to touch the surface of the tattoo and Sanji heard him gulp before he spoke up.

“And this one who is it?”

“It’s you, captain.”   

“Sanji…”

Luffy whispered and after that didn’t say anything else and Sanji’s heart was going in such frenzy that he was afraid something might go wrong with it. Luffy stayed quiet and Sanji didn’t know what to do. His head was so unfocused about everything else that wasn’t Luffy that he didn’t know how long they spent without talking. At the end he felt how Luffy put a hand in his right shoulder and Sanji’s heart did that strange leap again.

The sensation in the air was strange but definitely not uncomfortable. It was like something would explode, but Sanji didn’t know if it would be his own heart with its strong beating or something in Luffy. They weren’t even looking at each other, but Sanji just knew that Luffy had the same shy expression like him. He could feel the heat coming from his hand in his shoulder and it radiated energy into his skin and probably even his soul.

Sanji was about to say something even if he didn’t know what, but suddenly an unknown person came inside the room and whatever was going to happen was stopped. Sanji lifted his head and saw that Roque took the person by the arm and told him that they had gotten the wrong room with a scowl. It seemed the artist was mad, but he didn’t understand why.

When the person that Sanji assumed was a costumer was out, Tea came back and apologized for the intrusion. She began putting the plastic wrap to cover the tattoo and gave the same instructions that Roque gave to Luffy before. Luffy was back in front of Sanji and they kept staring at each other so he really wasn’t listening to anything Tea was saying. At the end she gave up and told him that she would give him the instructions written.

She repeated the same instruction to take the wrap after four hours and to wash it right away. She also said that he had to wait for four days to do any physical activity. She insisted in that a lot so Sanji thought that perhaps she was worried they would spar before the right time.

Sanji nodded when she was done putting the plastic wrap and when she said it was okay to stand up from the special chair he got up. Luffy helped him by grabbing his hand even if it wasn’t necessary. After that Luffy let go of his hand and Sanji put the shirt back on. Tea led them to the waiting room and told him to pay. Sanji knew that it was going to be expensive, but it was a good thing that the restaurant was making more than enough money so he wasn’t that worried about it.

When he paid for everything Tea gave him again the most important instructions and with that Sanji and Luffy waved goodbye to the couple. They went back to the house in an amicable silence, but Sanji could sense that Luffy wanted to say something. He didn’t utter a single word and he only spoke when they arrived, saying that he would cook something for him since he was probably really tired.

He had to admit that he loved whenever Luffy offered to cook things for him, but he didn’t feel bad so he refused easily and prepared something simple. They ate quickly since even Sanji was starving and when they were done Luffy washed the dishes. Sanji didn’t know what to do with the free time he had as he wasn’t going to work that whole day and waited for Luffy in case he had an interesting proposal.

Luffy observed him for a while when he was finished and told him to go rest at the bed. Sanji didn’t want that as he didn’t trust Luffy to wake him up after the four hours so he told him that he preferred to do something else. Luffy didn’t listen to him and took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Sanji protested because he didn’t want to sleep without knowing if he would wake up, but the captain pushed him gently into the mattress and he fell to the bed with his face.

He didn’t turn around since he knew that he had to sleep in that position to keep the tattoo safe and the sheets clean, but he was approaching the end of the bed to stand up properly. Luffy for his part went to the living room to do something and when he was back Sanji saw that he was carrying the cooking timer with him. He asked him what he was doing with that thing and Luffy said that with that he could be aware when it was time to wake him up.

Sanji tried to say that he didn’t want to sleep, but Luffy said that he should rest while he had the chance. The way he said that was relaxing and he decided that it was fine to give it a go. He turned around and rested on his right side so he wasn’t facing the bed anymore as it was more uncomfortable. He felt how Luffy got close to him like when they slept at night and he told him that he couldn’t do that if he had to wake him.

Luffy got away and said that he would so he shouldn’t worry. He was still really close and when Sanji closed his eyes he felt a hand caressing his hair. It was as always gentle and he began dozing off, but suddenly he heard Luffy speaking.

“Your tattoo is really beautiful,” he said and then waited a little to add, “I feel like our tattoos complement each other. Yours is water and mine is fire.”

Sanji woke up completely since what Luffy was saying moved something in him. A smile formed in his face as more than anything he actually liked what Luffy said a lot. He hadn’t gotten the idea for the tattoo with that in mind, but the thought that he was somehow even more connected with his captain settled warmly in his heart and chest. It was like a slow fire burned inside his stomach and he liked the sensation so he kept quiet listening to what Luffy had to say.

“I’m glad you consider me as someone important in your life. It makes me really happy.”

He continued to relish in Luffy’s touch and words and without knowing when exactly he fell asleep. The last conscious memory he had though, was of Luffy speaking and saying something that made his heart crazy.

“I’m really happy that I’m with you, Sanji.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously hope you guys liked the chapter and as I said the next ones are special! I don't want to spoil anything, but they are about Mariano.  
> Thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariano listens and observes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIi! As promised here's a new chapter for this fic! This week will all be special chapters focused on young cook Mariano! From chapter 23 to 24 the POV will be seen through him! These chapters are kind of important and of course Luffy and Sanji will appear!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

23\. Special of Mariano

 

At the young age of 18, Mariano understood why many people didn’t like him. It was probably about the way he cried because of everything or how he was so incredibly shy, but this time he knew for sure that it was mostly because he burned the room he was renting. It was the second time he had burned a room in an inn and the fourth time he had been kicked out of one.

Ever since his mother died he had been living in hostels renting rooms because he couldn’t afford to buy a house as it was too expensive even if his job at restaurants was good. He did everything in his power to get more money so he sold lunches and snacks in his free days in the local market in hopes of reuniting enough cash to purchase a house, but now that dream was far away as he had to spend the expenses for the damage of the room on top of being kicked out and having to look for a new place.

Mariano tried in every inn for a new room, but they all rejected him since they knew about his ability to somehow ruin things. It was a harsh reality and he didn’t know what to do. He offered even more money than what was asked, but the owners said that they preferred to save their hostel from his presence even with the good money income. That had been a low blow for him, but at least he had a reliable source of money since his job at the restaurant Black Leg was steady.

While being the line cook in the restaurant he used to work at and literally being the last link in the food chain he lived with some money enough to get by, but he was depressed. His life back there was a torture as everyone scolded him harshly and practically hated him. He didn’t even understand why the executive cook and boss from the place didn’t fire him and he had the impression that he only let him stay because he wanted to let out his rage with someone. So, when Mariano had first heard that Sanji had arrived to Lovebird Island he had been blissful.

It wasn’t like he actually knew that he would open a restaurant there, but he had always admired him and wanted to meet him or at least taste one of his dishes. When news got out that Sanji was going to open a new restaurant and that he would be hiring cooks, Mariano knew that it was his chance to work in a good place where he could actually bring out the best of his cuisine.

Since the boss of his ex-workplace hated pirates, obviously he disliked Sanji with passion and numerous times claimed that he was overrated as a cook and that the only good thing he had done was find the All Blue, but that it was probably because he was next to such a good crew and captain. Mariano really didn’t think it was like that and when the day for the interviews came he had to ask permission to go since he would be working that day.

The boss refused his plea and warned everyone that if someone dared to go there they would be fired immediately with the excuse that it was working hours. All the cooks preferred to stay in a job that was safe and he had been like that at first too, but when he received the last mistreatment he decided that enough was enough and went to the interview without caring about the consequences or repercussions.

That way he had been thankfully chosen as a chef and he was really grateful since he still screwed up from time to time (on an everyday basis), but the boss, even if he scolded him, was never unnecessary rude to him. It was clear he got mad because he did stupid things and not because he was a bad person. He admired him a lot so he didn’t know how he would explain that he was bringing his belongings to the restaurant.

When Mariano arrived two hours late to the job and with his suitcases to the back door Sanji had a face that spoke volumes about what he was thinking. He could actually see a vein popping up and he was really afraid that he would also be fired that day. Sanji asked for explanations and he related how things had been and that he hadn’t been able to find a new place.

Sanji looked compassionate and began to search for rooms with him, but just like in every other place they rejected Mariano’s stay as he was dangerous for the business. Sanji tried in every inn and hostel and everyone denied his entrance. He was feeling desperate, but Sanji told him that they would ask the other cooks or the rest of the staff if they had an extra room for him. Mariano liked that idea and they went back to the restaurant in hopes he would sleep under a roof that night.

The thing with the cooks and the staff was that most of them weren’t locals like him so they didn’t own a place and rented rooms just like him. The others that did have an actual house had families already and didn’t have space for him so that left poor Mariano without any place to rest not even one of his suitcases. Seeing that he was homeless now and that he would have to live in the outskirts of the city next to the forests Mariano began crying without knowing what to do.

Sanji tried to calm him along with Christina and the others, but he was too scared of living under a bridge so he didn’t listen to them. In the middle of his constant cries he saw that Luffy arrived at the kitchen and asked what was making him weep so much. Sanji explained the situation to Luffy and he got close to him and shook him by the arms.

“Mariano, calm down! You can stay with us at the house, okay?”

“What?”

Mariano, Sanji, John and Christina all asked the same while Luffy had a winning smile. Boss Sanji seemed to not like the idea and refused that option instantly making Mariano cry again. Christina tried to calm him again, but he felt too sad that his boss didn’t want him close though it was evident why and he couldn’t really blame him. He accepted his fate and picked his baggage to sleep that night close to the river where he could at least fish and have some food.

Luffy stopped him and made him wait. He grabbed Sanji’s hand and took him to a more secluded place in the same kitchen in a make-believe privacy. Mariano couldn’t listen to anything in all truthfulness, but he saw how Luffy agitated his hands to make points and Sanji shook his head several times. Then Luffy seemed to get more serious and something in his aura changed and Sanji sighed.

They went back to where everyone was looking at them and Luffy made Sanji follow him too. He had a smile so Mariano supposed he had good news, but he preferred to actually wait.

“Mariano, you can stay with us for some time,” Luffy said and Mariano started crying again in relief.

Luffy told him to stop since he didn’t like crybabies too much and he stopped immediately after that command. Sanji had a scowl, but he actually looked tired instead of mad. He told Luffy to show him the house and make room for him and his stuff. He accepted happily and guided him through the stairs that only two people in that whole restaurant used: the direct stairs that connected the kitchen with Sanji’s house. Only Sanji, Luffy and one time John used it and it was like a secret to where it could lead them.

John always boasted that he was the only one permitted the privilege of seeing the actual house of the Pirate King and everyone wanted to know the mysteries behind it too. Mariano dreamed of entering the house and he was finally achieving that, though it would be better if he was allowed in for another reason instead of burning where he lived.

Mariano went up with Luffy while everyone looked at them and he heard Sanji telling everyone to work. He entered the place after Luffy opened the door for him and when he was inside he took in the sight. It was a beautiful home that screamed of coziness and heartwarming moments and Mariano was marveled. A nice house where he could live was all he wished for and this place was a dream.

Luffy guided him to a room in the middle of the corridor and said that he would be staying there. Mariano put his suitcases in the floor while Luffy took out clothes from the closet. He told him that since he would be sleeping there it would be more comfortable if he kept his clothes in his real room. Luffy went to the room in the end of the corridor and he stood outside of it while he saw that he arranged his clothes in a closet.

Mariano assumed this was Sanji’s room, but if Luffy said it was his real room then it had to be. When he was ready he went out and showed him the rest of the house. He opened a door to the left and told him that it was the bathroom and where he could wash his clothes. Then they went back to the living room and dining room. Luffy showed him the kitchen that was behind a counter next to the dining room.

Luffy told him that he could eat and cook whatever he wanted from the fridge, but Mariano wasn’t too sure about that and preferred to wait for Sanji to allow him that. After that Luffy went to the living room and picked Bacon up and introduced him like he hadn’t met the cat before. Mariano liked that Luffy was so welcoming even if it wasn’t his house and it would make sense to hope for that reception from the actual owner, but he knew their general dynamics and everyone knew that whatever Luffy said Sanji usually followed.

Mariano had to admit that he was rather curious about that. According to some people in the staff they were a little too friendly with each other and he also saw something similar, though he wasn’t sure of what they really had. It was obvious they were the best of friends and their trust in each other was undeniable, but since the crew always seemed to be close it was hard to actually discern if they had another type of relationship that they didn’t show to anyone else.

In any case Mariano wasn’t there to spy on their activities and only appreciated the stay so he would try to help in whatever way he could to maintain the house tidy. If they decided to reveal that they were a couple or not it was up to them and he wouldn’t ask about it either. However, and for that same reason, he didn’t know if he would intrude too much. Even if they were only friends he didn’t want to get in the way of what they normally did so he would be quiet and would try his hardest not to burn this house too.

After Luffy showed the house to Mariano they went down back to the kitchen and he continued his work relieved that he had a good place to stay. Sanji didn’t say anything to him like he had expected and only cooked or worked in his office with Luffy behind him. For the last week Luffy had been after his boss practically the whole day with few exceptions. At first Sanji hadn’t minded it too much, but it seemed like he was tired of that and told Luffy many times to go play somewhere else. Luffy didn’t listen and kept by his side for motives still unknown.

It had begun after the Saturday when Sanji had been absent for the day and the Sunday Luffy was stuck to Sanji as if enchanted by something. No one had any idea of what made Luffy act that way, but with the days it seemed it wasn’t that annoying like when Sanji had cut his hair and he followed him all day long. This case was similar, but it didn’t have that same force; it was deeper but definitely not as asphyxiating. It was like whatever they had was warm, but Mariano could understand why Sanji wanted space.

Hours passed by and when Boss Sanji said that it was time to go Mariano went to the backdoor and was leaving, but Sanji stopped him with a deadpan. He told him that he had his stuff upstairs and he felt like an idiot for forgetting, but he couldn’t help it sometimes. Sanji sent the staff home and they were staring at him with curiosity since it was obvious they wanted to know details of his stay there, but the boss simply closed the door and went up to the house.

By miracle Luffy had gone up earlier since Sanji was able to convince him that Bacon was probably bored without him. That was the strategy he used most times, but it was losing effect as Luffy was beginning to come back and say that Bacon seemed okay. That afternoon it had worked and Luffy had gone to wait for Sanji upstairs so when they arrived through the door he almost jumped at Sanji.

Usually he didn’t do that kind of show of affection in front of the staff, but since it was Sanji’s house he guessed it was due to that. When Luffy was holding him by the neck he asked for food and Mariano noticed that he was moving his hands to Sanji’s back, but he halted him gently and told him to be careful since it was still just healing. Mariano didn’t know what was healing, but when they seemed to realize his presence there they became embarrassed and Luffy let go of Sanji.

Sanji went to the kitchen and started preparing something for them. Mariano really didn’t like intruding so he only asked what he could do to help and Sanji said to set the table and later wash the dishes. He accepted and Luffy exclaimed happily that he didn’t have any chores to do. The boss didn’t look too content with that, but he didn’t comment about it and focused in preparing beef stew.

When Mariano was done setting the table up he went to observe Sanji cooking. He didn’t get to eat or see his technique that often since he was busy cooking himself, but when he had the opportunity he took in all the knowledge he could grasp. From the way he cut the vegetables he oozed confidence and to the simple eye it seemed like he wasn’t doing anything differently, but there was something in how he held the knife and even the aura he had when cooking that made it special.

Sanji seemed to notice that he was looking at him, analyzing every movement, chop and cut from the knife, but it was like he was used to that and didn’t care. He waited until dinner was ready and after that he served the food to Mariano and Luffy. As always Luffy looked happy and said a loud thanks to Sanji. He practically devoured the entire dish and Sanji had to take the plate out of his mouth in case he actually ate it.

In his case, Mariano tasted everything carefully and slowly and examined the savor. He took a good time eating and Luffy grew bored of waiting for him so he told him to prepare a dessert in punishment. He stood up once he was finished and prepared fruit salad with yogurt. Luffy liked it and said that every time he took too much time eating he would have to make dessert. Sanji only shook his head, but didn’t say it wasn’t necessary. He said he liked the dessert too and stood up to go to his bedroom.

Luffy went after him while Mariano washed the dishes. On the way to the room he listened to them speaking about something very peculiar. They talked about a lotion and how Luffy had to apply it in Sanji’s skin. Mariano really wondered what kind of wound his boss had if Luffy had to take care of it with so much attention.

When Mariano finished washing the dishes he went to the room where he had his things and changed into his pajamas. He lay on the bed and waited to fall asleep, but he couldn’t because he heard some noises coming from the other side of the wall. He could make out voices and tried to focus on something else to not spy on his boss and Luffy, but he simply couldn’t because they were making too much noise.

It seemed like they were arguing over something, but he didn’t know what. After a while the voices were clearer and Mariano was able to understand the conversation.

“It’s too hot like this, Luffy. You know we shouldn’t,” Sanji said trying to convince Luffy of something, but Mariano knew that there weren’t too many chances of it working.

“But you love when we do this. Don’t fight it, Sanji,” Luffy said in a whiny tone and Mariano was really confused. What shouldn’t they fight about?

“I have never said that! That’s something you just assume.”

“Don’t lie! I know from your expression that you love this. Now come over here and just let me do it,” Luffy said and he could hear the movement of the mattress and even the sheets and he couldn’t feel more awkward.

Mariano heard some other noises, but he put the pillow over his head to not listen to anything compromising. As Sanji said, the weather was really hot that day so Mariano had a hard time falling asleep with the pillow and the sheets covering him. He wanted to leave them at the end of the bed, but he was afraid he might end up listening to something embarrassing and he wouldn’t be able to face his boss the next day like that so he sucked it up and fell asleep at one a.m.

The next day Mariano woke up to sounds coming from the corridor and he got scared that the Marines had come for a raid at the house of the Pirate King. He got up with the pillow that covered him the whole night in hopes he could protect them with it. He went stealthily to the living room where he could hear the noises coming from and when he prepared to attack, he only saw that Sanji looked annoyed and Luffy laughed scandalously.

They weren’t wearing any shirts and Sanji was in the floor with his back facing to the couch Luffy was seated at. He had his whole face red while Luffy laughed about something and seemed to be spreading some sort of cream in his back. They noticed his presence and Luffy smiled at him. Sanji only nodded and kept telling Luffy something.

“Do it properly if you’re gonna do it, okay?” Sanji said with a scowl, but Luffy continued laughing.

“Don’t worry, Sanji! It’s only a little here,” he said putting the lotion in a spot and then with a mischievous smile added, “And here too!”

Luffy said while spreading the cream in Sanji’s face and then a little in his chest. Sanji turned around to scold Luffy. He only laughed and Sanji grabbed a pillow from the couch and started hitting him with it. With his back exposed in his direction, Mariano noticed a blue spot in Sanji’s shoulder blade and wondered what it was because it looked too detailed and drawn to be a simple mole. Then it dawned on him that it was probably a tattoo and remembered that Luffy had one too so that meant that they had gotten them together or something like that. If that wasn’t further proof of their love then what could be?

They continued bickering and Sanji said, “I always do it well with you, but when it’s your turn you take it as a joke. I’ll look for someone else to do it!”

Luffy seemed to finally look serious and said, “Yeah, and who will?”

“I don’t know. Anyone else works, I guess.”

“But I won’t allow it. This is my responsibility so I’m in charge here,” Luffy said and cleaned with his hand some of the lotion in Sanji’s face that was completely red.

It was like they had completely forgotten Mariano was there so he went to prepare breakfast. He toasted bread and cooked eggs. He made orange juice while trying to focus entirely at the task at hand even if the “lovebirds” seemed to be back at just bickering. When the food was ready Bacon appeared mewing in an obvious way to ask for its food, seemingly totally used to the antics that happened with the Pirate King and his cook.

He served food to Bacon and then called the others to eat. They were still cleaning Sanji’s face and chest as for some reason they took a lot of time in that in Mariano’s opinion. Only with his call they noticed him and went to the table in the dining room. Luffy began eating like a beast as always and once he was finished he thanked him. Sanji did the same and whenever Mariano was feeling anxious he did stupid things so he thanked himself too. Luffy laughed loudly and Sanji followed right after. Mariano felt dumb, but it wasn’t as bad as most of the time so he smiled.

Mariano washed the dirty plates and silverware and went to shower since the boss and Luffy had already used it. When he was ready he put on his clothes and waited for the opening of the restaurant since it was still early. He didn’t find Sanji or Luffy in the house and went down to the kitchen, but they weren’t there either. He went to the backyard hoping that they would be there and when he opened the door he saw something he wished he wouldn’t.

Sanji lay on the floor with Luffy on top of him, straddling him and his face really close to his. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the position they were in was certainly one of the things he definitely didn’t want to intrude so he only went back inside the house to make it seem like nothing had happened. Still, if Sanji or Luffy noticed that he was there like they usually did by some sort of strange magic, perhaps they would be embarrassed or mad that he saw them so he really hoped they wouldn’t kick him out just because he caught them almost kissing.

Mariano waited with a jumpy heart for Sanji and Luffy and when it was thirty minutes before the opening of the restaurant they came back. Sanji showered and Luffy had to apply the lotion in the tattoo again. This time Luffy didn’t play, but Mariano still didn’t want to look at them and their “moments” so he only waited for him to be ready. Then it was Luffy’s turn to get the cream over his skin and Sanji spread it calmly and with care.

After that they went down to the restaurant and Luffy stayed behind, but said that he would go to look for Sanji later. Despite how much Luffy followed his boss and while it annoyed him to have him close so much, it was also evident that Sanji really liked having him around. In the way his eyes shone it was written and the smile he had reflected a type of promise that even without knowing too much Mariano understood.

Past the rush hour of lunch, Sanji went to do administrative work and left the kitchen. Not long passed and John approached Mariano to talk while he chopped carrots. He wanted to speak about his night at the boss’s house, but he really didn’t think it was good to tell him those details like what he had heard in the other room. He avoided answering to John’s questions directly and he said that he was no fun like that, but by casualty he said that he had slept really well in the room he was using and John grew curious.

“You are using a room? I thought you would use the couch ’cause they only have two rooms and Luffy is-” John and said and put both hands to his mouth. Then he added, “Unless he’s sleeping in Sanji’s room. Is that what’s going on?”

Mariano felt his face hot and tried to say something not compromising. “I mean, yeah, he is sleeping in Boss’s room, but I don’t know if in his bed. He can sleep in the floor for all I know.”

“Yeah, sure! Of course he sleeps in his bed! Can’t believe he got that hidden, that blond bastard,” John said with obvious disrespect, but it was like he was enjoying it. With a playful smile he also added, “It was very evident from the face he put when I was around Luffy, but to think he would actually make a move…”

“I don’t know if it is like that though! You are only assuming things and aside from sleeping together they don’t do anything else!” Mariano exclaimed with force and uninvited onlookers approached.

“Who is sleeping with who? I need to know so I can inform Boss Sanji,” Christina said and it was clearly a lie.

“You don’t have to, Chris, because _Sanji_ is sleeping with Luffy. He has that info from first source,” John said with a shit-eating grin and Mariano wanted to die.

Christina gasped and the others cooks had similar reactions. Old lady cook Julia was the only one that didn’t do anything and said that there was nothing to be surprised with kids that were so obvious. When the cooks regained composure they began discussing the hot topic much to Mariano’s chagrin and unluckiness.

“But that can’t be. Boss Sanji flirts with me and Luffy doesn’t seem to care that much,” said a cook called Rachel that was very pretty.

“That’s because Sanji never flirts with you when Luffy is here. Maybe the first weeks he did, but none of that happens now,” John said believing strongly in his opinion.

“I insist in that it can’t be. Not long ago you went out with Luffy and Boss Sanji went out with that other guy too,” Elijah said. He was a cook that had the same age as John and they got along the best from the cooks.

“It was long ago enough and Sanji probably broke up with that firefighter ’cause he already had someone to extinguish his fires, you know,” John said and laughed loudly at his own joke.

Christina shook her head and said, “Well, I don’t know when they began what they have because we don’t even know if they do have something.”

Jericho, a very strict cook that never talked with anyone but that was extremely good at cooking, said, “Of course they have something. They are sleeping together when they don’t have to, Christina. I only do that with my wife.”

“I still think there should be more proofs. They could be using the same room because of Mariano after all. Unless you indeed have seen things,” another cook called Pierre said and everyone stared at Mariano that wanted to escape from that kitchen rapidly.

He gulped because he didn’t know how to handle that much attention. He would break if they were to ask him too much or put too much pressure. Like he feared they began asking him what he had seen in his short stay and he said he hadn’t seen anything. Then they grew suspicious and asked if he had _heard_ something and that was the main problem because yes, he had heard and seen things.

Mariano kept quiet and didn’t spill a bean about anything. He thought that the torture would be over, but they began blackmailing him in the worst way.

“Mariano, you better tell us or we go to tell Sanji about that last fry pan you burned,” John said and how Mariano wished he wasn’t so good at ruining everything.

Getting scared of Sanji’s reaction he preferred to tell them what he had seen. Later he would probably regret it, but for now it seemed to be the best course of action.

“Okay, okay. I think they are together ’cause they actually sleep in the same bed and they are always flirting. They make weird noises at night and they got tattoos to prove their love. Boss got a tattoo in his back that he hasn’t shown anyone and today I caught them almost kissing. That’s all I know, but please don’t tell anyone this. If they don’t want to tell people then it’s their choice.”

Everyone looked scandalized and even the kitchen helpers, the other cooks and some waiters were listening. Mariano felt like crying, but John said that it was only a joke that he would tell Sanji that he had burned the pan. He felt like an idiot because he had done exactly what they wanted and now everyone knew something he really believed Sanji and Luffy didn’t want the rest to know for the time being.  

“I think the same as Mariano and we shouldn’t intrude further than this. If you think about it maybe what they have isn’t even something official yet.” Christina made everyone get close and then said, “Here’s what we’ll do: no one will tell Sanji or Luffy that we know they are together until they tell us themselves. Think you can do that?”

The whole staff nodded and said that it was a good idea. With that everyone went back to work and Mariano felt ten times better because that meant that he wouldn’t have to deal with being guilty of uncovering his boss’s relationship. If he was afraid of his ex-boss that was a simple cook then what could be expected from him with Sanji and Luffy? Sanji was definitely a great person, but he was still a pirate from the crew of the _King_ of the Pirates, who just happened to be his boyfriend too and he seriously didn’t want to deal with that. He liked life well enough at the end.

Happy with that train of thought Mariano continued working as if nothing had happened. If he was able to skip having to witness Sanji and Luffy’s wrath then everything would be fine, he just had to keep quiet and that wasn’t difficult. He didn’t have friends and no one cared that much about his Boss and Luffy, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted like always on Sunday!  
> Thanks for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mariano gets what he deserves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's the last special chapter focused on Mariano! So, the next chapter will be posted the next Sunday and it'll follow Sanji's POV as usual!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

24\. Special of Mariano II

 

Since the ingredients from the All Blue were already out of stock Sanji and Luffy went to get new things. They didn’t say anything about where they would go, but Mariano wasn’t expecting them to reveal the secret and he was actually surprised that Sanji had even allowed him to stay alone in the house. He was taking care of the house and Bacon, but of course not of the restaurant that was in charge of Christina.

Almost two weeks had passed since Mariano began staying at his boss’s house, but things were good in his opinion. Sanji hadn’t told him even once that he should look for a different place, but Mariano was seriously considering it already because he felt like he was intruding them. It wasn’t bad without them there, but before they had left four days ago it was intense to say the least.

From their constant stares to even how they talked about simple things like Luffy getting a haircut, it was all about them flirting. It wasn’t like they really showed any type of direct demonstration of their love, but to be around them the whole day was also tiring. The atmosphere between was special and Mariano didn’t want to be in the middle of that. His escape was the restaurant because Luffy usually was milder with his loving eyes and he didn’t spend all the time there either, but when it was the night and they had dinner together it was more complicated.

Luckily for Mariano though, he still had one more day since their arrival and he had used the time wisely. He had sold lunch and snacks in the market in the morning and was now only relaxing with Bacon in his lap in the couch of the living room. He knew that he had to get a lot of money to buy a house and his finances weren’t too good right now, but at least he wasn’t in debt so with more time he hoped he would be able to buy his own house. He still thought that he would have to leave soon from his boss’s house, but he would wait a little.

Mariano petted Bacon when he heard a knock in the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone so he went to see who it was. He opened the door and saw that it was John with Elijah. They had big smiles and Mariano felt like closing the door immediately, but they got in without his permission quickly. They looked around the house and Mariano asked them what they wanted with apprehension.

“We came to see you, of course. You must be so lonely without the lovebirds, right?” John said through a smile and Mariano knew that they hadn’t come for that at all.

“Yeah, sure. Really, what do you want?”

“Don’t be like that, dude! I just wanted to show the house a little to Elijah. He has always wanted to see how it looks and it isn’t like he has any chance with Sanji or Luffy to see how it’s inside,” John said and Elijah hit him in the arm.

“Don’t make it sound like that! I only said I was curious about the house. I have never been interested in them,” Elijah said with a scowl.

“What are you guys interested in the house about? It’s a really normal house after all,” Mariano said and he really hoped they would leave soon. He just knew that John had the worst ideas ever.

“The Pirate King and his cook live here! It has to have extraordinary things, but Luffy never really showed them to me when we went out. He said that he had sold most of his treasures,” John said with a fake sad face and Elijah showed him mock support.

“And Luffy hasn’t shown them to me either! What you see is what I have seen so far, nothing else apart of their obvious love,” Mariano said, but regretted his words immediately.

John and Elijah looked at each other with mischievous smiles and Mariano was about to throw them water to see if they would leave. He had heard rumors going around the whole city about Sanji and Luffy being a couple, but he hadn’t started them. It was the staff from the restaurant that talked with the people that brought the provisions and told them all about it and then they went with the rumor to the rest of the people. The only reason why Sanji or Luffy hadn't heard anything was because in the same way that in the restaurant, the rumor was said with a special promise: you couldn’t tell the couple that you knew about their relationship. The rumor was the hot topic of the city and they even called them “lovebirds” now and Mariano was actually impressed about how many people knew them.

“So how has that been? Have they told you something?” Elijah asked Mariano and put one arm over his shoulders.

“No, they really haven’t and if they don’t want to it’s okay too,” Mariano said and Elijah brought him closer.

“Yeah, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it, right? It’s not like we are hurting them or anything,” he said and Mariano was already tired of the conversation.

“What do you guys want to do?”

“I don’t know. A party here could be good. I mean, lots of people are dying to see the house,” John said and put his arm over Mariano’s shoulder.

“No! We can’t do that!” Mariano exclaimed, but from the faces the cooks were making he knew that they wouldn’t listen to him.

“I’m gonna look for the guys back at town and you can prepare everything. It’s gonna be something chill so don’t worry, Mariano,” John said and went to open the door.

“It’s their house so you can’t bring people without their permission!” Mariano exclaimed and he was on the verge of tears. He knew that he had so little willpower that he would end up serving drinks in whatever upcoming party.

For Mariano’s great surprise and luck someone appeared in the other side of the door when John opened it.

“But you can bring hot tattooed guys into the house just fine, right?” John said and with a hand introduced Roque that was in the door alone.

Sanji had left Roque and Tea in charge of visiting Mariano for the days he was absent. Mariano knew about the tattoo artist couple as most people knew about each other at the city, but he had never actually spoken with them as he was scared of them since they had many tattoos. Apparently, Sanji and Luffy had befriended them after getting their tattoos so they sometimes came to see them or they went to the tattoo parlor. Mariano had stopped being scared of them and had grown fond of the couple and he seriously hoped Roque would help him with these annoying cooks.

“Who is this guy, Mariano? Is he bothering you?” Roque asked and it was clear he was going to kick John out if he wished, but he didn’t want that exactly either.

“He’s one of the cooks at the restaurant, but he wants to have a party here,” Mariano said and John told him to explain who Roque was.

“Sanji left me on charge of this little dude here and while I love parties I know for sure that Sanji won’t like this,” Roque said and finally went inside the house.

He waved a hand to Elijah and asked him and John if they had something else to do there. It had a tone of finality and Mariano was so glad. It wasn’t like Roque was really intimidating, but he knew that John and Elijah wouldn’t be able to convince him or do whatever they wanted. They still decided to stay with them for some time and offered to prepare something for Roque. Since Roque was a really laid back person he accepted easily and they started making spaghetti.

Of course Elijah and John’s intentions were to find out more information about Sanji and Luffy and Mariano really wondered how they could waste their time on other people’s lives so much. Roque talked with them and answered some of their questions like for example if it was true that he had tattooed them because they had connected Roque with their tattoos fast. Roque didn’t lie and said that he and his wife had indeed worked with them and that they became close because of that.

John asked Roque about Sanji’s tattoo and he said that it had been Tea the one that had designed and inked it so he didn’t know much about the tattoo in specific and had only seen it once. Elijah asked Mariano how it looked and since he had seen it many times he said it was like a sea representation, but that he didn’t understand it much. For Mariano there was something private and special about that tattoo because it was obvious Sanji and Luffy shared a bond through it so he didn’t specify too much.

The two cooks still asked many things to Roque about the couple and how affectionate they were, but he didn’t say anything too revealing and mostly just answered with “yes”, “no” and shrugs. It seemed it was tiring for Elijah and John so after they ate, they left with annoyed faces, but Mariano seriously didn’t care. He was glad and thanked Roque for helping him.

“No problem! Young guys like those get annoying sometimes when they can’t gossip,” Roque said and stood up. “I should go to see Tea. Anything you need?”

“Not really,” Mariano said and suddenly grew curious of something that had been in his mind. “Do Boss and Luffy get really affectionate in front of you? I just see them be _almost_ there, but nothing too spectacular either. It makes me think sometimes that they actually don’t have a relationship and just like each other but don’t know it yet.”

Roque laughed loudly and when he calmed down he said, “Yeah, they love each other, but now they are too shy to tell other people. With Tea and me they opened up about their love, but I’m sure with time they’ll tell you too. You just have to wait, okay?”

Mariano nodded and felt happy about the information. With that Roque left and Mariano went to close the door. Without Luffy and Sanji the house felt too big and it was lonely, but since Bacon was there too he picked him up and went to sleep to the room he was using. He had to seize the time he still had because while the house felt too big without them, their presence was also exuberant and even tiring; they had too much energy for Mariano to bear and he knew that the next morning they would come back causing probably an explosion.

……………………………..

As Mariano had predicted Sanji and Luffy did come back making a ruckus. They arrived that Tuesday early in the morning and Luffy was incredibly hungry and pleaded Sanji to prepare him a second breakfast. Sanji refused and said that Luffy couldn’t eat the whole day, but they started fighting about it and Luffy got mad at the end, saying that the cook didn’t listen to him and that if it was a woman who asked him for food he would comply at the drop of a hat. Sanji said that of course he would and with that Luffy went out with a loud bang of the door without even Bacon.

Sanji got mad too and Mariano felt so out of place because it must have sucked for Luffy to see the person he loved prefer someone else. Mariano could have offered to cook something for Luffy, but it wasn’t his food or his house so he couldn’t do anything. There was also the fact that he didn’t want to get in the way of a lovers’ fight so he just hoped they would fix things quickly.

Sadly for Mariano though, it was past lunch and Luffy hadn’t come not even once to see Sanji or ask for food. He noticed how Sanji looked all the time towards the door while arranging the ingredients from the All Blue, in case Luffy appeared and he had the worst mood in weeks. The past weeks Sanji had looked so happy and almost with a full heart for strange that it sounded. Now he scolded everyone and it was obvious he was actually angry at someone else and not at the cooks.

Mariano wanted to look for Luffy, but he couldn’t ditch his job for that so he waited patiently for the pirate to appear and calm his boss’s bad temper. It could also be that Sanji went to search for him and if Mariano was honest he hoped it was like that. He didn’t want to choose sides in this, but it must have hurt Luffy that Sanji was still biased towards women even if they were dating. Mariano thought that women were great, but everyone was the same after all and Sanji seemed to forget about that and it was evident Luffy would get mad at some point about it.

After the rush hour Sanji went to eat lunch after delaying the break time for a good while clearly waiting for Luffy. If he missed Luffy so much then why didn’t he go to look for him? Mariano didn’t have a clue in relationships so he had no real advice for his boss, but he thought that accepting the mistake was the best option. If he could get Sanji to apologize to Luffy he knew that things would be fine and he wanted it to be like that. Their love was blistering even when not demonstrated completely, but it was definitely so much better to have the lovebirds around being shy, timid and flirty.

Hoping that he wasn’t intruding too much, Mariano went to Sanji’s office. He knocked on the door and his boss let him inside without saying much. He was eating with a scowl and it was obvious he was still mad and that it would be hard to talk with him. Mariano was backing down from the whole thing, but Sanji asked him if he needed something and he knew that he had to help somehow.

“I was just wondering if you’re still mad at Luffy, boss?” Mariano said while playing with the fabric of his uniform.

“Yeah, I am.” He stopped with a short phrase, but then seemed to want to let out everything and said, “I don’t know why he is like that. He has known me for years so it’s no surprise I always give food to women. They deserve it.”

Mariano didn’t know what to say about that. For him everyone deserved food if they were hungry and he had the impression that Sanji understood that too, but sometimes was blinded by women, which in his opinion was weird especially considering he had a boyfriend now. He didn’t want to be too upfront and tell Sanji that he knew of his relationship with Luffy so he only said vague words.

“I think he expects you, boss, to feed him because you’re his cook after all. From what I have seen he has never stopped seeing you as when you were navigating together,” Mariano said hoping that Sanji wouldn’t get mad at him too.

Something shone inside Sanji’s eyes and he had a small smile so Mariano assumed that he hadn’t taken badly his point of view.

“Well, that’s true. He still sees me as his cook and I still see him as my captain,” he said with emotion and then added, “But sometimes it’s hard for me to think about that too. I think that maybe I should be more mindful.”

“Does that mean that you will apologize?” Mariano blurted out and put a hand in his mouth because he hadn’t wanted to really say that.

Sanji had a smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah, I think I will, but finding Luffy will take me some time. Though I can’t have him starving so I’ll prepare something for him.”

He stood up with the empty plate and went to the kitchen. As he had said he prepared something quickly and put Christina in charge of the restaurant. After that he went out hurriedly with a lunchbox and everyone stared at the door. The staff commented that it was about time he fixed whatever problem he obviously had with Luffy and continued working.

Hours passed by and there was no sight of Sanji or Luffy and Mariano grew preoccupied; what if things hadn’t gone well? He wasn’t in any position to go search for them and he would probably get lost in the forest if they were there even if he was a local. When more than three hours went by Sanji arrived with a Luffy that was all smiles. It seemed things had gone much better than what anyone had expected and he was glad for it.

He didn’t know what exactly happened between them, but John just had to say that it was clear a lot more than food was exchanged and Mariano felt so awkward. No one really asked Sanji or Luffy what they had done or why they were smiling so much because everyone understood that it wasn’t a good idea to get any of them mad. When one of them said they were going to kick your ass it was one hundred percent true and no one was stupid enough to test it. Okay, maybe except for John, but the rest were normal people.

When it was time to close the restaurant Sanji hurried everyone back home since it seemed he was tired. Seeing how the couple looked exhausted from the trip, Mariano offered to cook something for them and they accepted easily. He picked lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and beans to prepare salad. He also looked for a can of sardines he had bought when they were at sea and opened it to add it to the vegetables.

He didn’t look at the can and put the sardines on top of the salad with expertise. He called for Sanji and Luffy and they thanked him for the food. The mood was good again and in the way they talked Mariano could see that things were more than okay between them. He was happy for them because, while it was awkward to be around them sometimes, it was really preferable that they were fine and in love.

Since Mariano hadn’t had time before he asked the couple how the trip had been. He didn’t ask for anything specific, but Luffy said that it had been really fun and Sanji hadn’t gotten sick like last time. It seemed they had had a great time together and Mariano preferred to stop talking about the topic because he felt like intruding already.

They continued eating while Bacon meowed a lot by their side. He was being particularly annoying that night, Sanji said and even Luffy admitted to that. Bacon had already eaten and it wasn’t like sardines were the best type of fish out there so they didn’t understand what his deal was. He kept meowing and meowing and Sanji told Luffy that if he didn’t stop him he would have to sleep outside. Luffy pouted and said that he would be cold in the night like that, but Sanji clearly didn’t care.

Luffy stood up and Bacon went to the kitchen before he could pick him up. He ran after the cat and when they got inside the kitchen Mariano saw how Bacon jumped to the counter where the food was prepared. Sanji yelled at Luffy to put him down and he did, but the cat knocked down the can of sardines to the floor. Luffy tried to scold Bacon, but he was having a hard time and Sanji stood up to do it correctly.

He grabbed Bacon from Luffy’s hand and the captain bended to pick the used can. Something seemingly caught his attention and then his eyes widened to impossible measures. Sanji and Mariano asked him what was wrong and he told them.

“It says here that you won 200 million Bellies, Mariano!”

Mariano couldn’t even begin to process what Luffy had said because his mind shut down in an instant and he passed out while Sanji and Luffy screamed. In darkness his whole world fell and he couldn’t think about anything.

Mariano felt a strange and strong smell like alcohol, and even if he didn’t want to open his eyes, the sensation was so intense that he woke up instantly. When his eyes focused he saw that Sanji was holding him while Luffy had a handkerchief in his hand and placed it close to his nose. They asked him how he was feeling and Mariano said that he felt a small headache, but that it wasn’t terrible. They smiled upon hearing that and picked him up from the hard surface of the floor.

He stood with some difficulty and when he was able to find enough balance Sanji and Luffy let him on his own. Mariano didn’t remember why he had passed out in the first place so he asked the couple and they looked at each other and then Luffy nodded at Sanji so he could speak. It seemed it was something terrible and shocking and Mariano was now extremely afraid.

“Listen well, Mariano, and don’t pass out,” Sanji said and when he nodded he added, “You won 200 million Bell-”

He wasn’t listening because he was going down again, but Luffy held him quickly and put the handkerchief to his nose and the strong smell hit him, keeping him awake. Luffy put Mariano in a correct position again, but still held him by the sides and Sanji spoke up.

“Mariano, calm down and listen please. You won and it was that game from the ‘Happy Fish’ company. It’s a lot of money, but you have to collect it tomorrow ’cause now it’s the night, okay?”

Mariano caught only half of what his boss had said, but it was enough for him to understand that he was probably rich. He wasn’t able to say anything and the more he thought about the implications the weaker his legs became. Luffy held him for some time and then Sanji told him that it was best to sit him down. Mariano felt how Luffy sat him, but other than that he wasn’t really thinking or perceiving much.

Luffy and Sanji sat at the chairs too and waited a little to speak. After a while Sanji smiled at Mariano and told him something he hadn’t wanted to even think because it could end whatever dream he was having.

“You know that with this you can buy a house, right?”

He felt like fainting again, but Luffy put the handkerchief to his nose and he stayed awake. He smiled and then, right after, a sob came out. It was the dream of his life and it was going to happen. Sanji and Luffy smiled at him and Mariano wondered if this was how they felt when they found the One Piece too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Entering the next chapter the fic will enter its last part though I still can't say how many chapters there are left!  
> Thanks for reading!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy laze; Luffy gets hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic! If I'm honest today I wanted to post so many things since it's Luffy's birthday, but life didn't let me do anything ;; I had tons of ideas but no time to write them so the new chapter was all I could post. Maybe next week I can actually write and post, but I'll see.  
> As I said before, with this chapter the end will begin, though I can say that there are definitely more than five chapters left so it's just that this is the last third of the history.  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

25.

 

Sanji was happy with how things were. The restaurant was doing well, his life was good and having Luffy next to him was nice. The company of his captain filled his life with some type of fervency that made everything more interesting and he couldn’t get enough of it. He knew that the time Luffy decided to leave would be painful because he would miss the sensation and him a lot, but it was going to happen eventually and he would have to put up with it.

Another thing that was good was that Mariano had received the prize for the “Happy Fish” game and he was practically rich. He had been able to buy a house and he was currently arranging everything there so Sanji had to give him some days to settle. Sanji had thought that Mariano would like to open his own restaurant, but the young cook had said that he still had tons to learn from him so it wasn’t an option and that for now he only wanted his house.

When Mariano had gone to live to his new house he had paid Sanji some type of rent and some more money for the hospitality. Sanji never asked for that and refused, but Mariano said that with this he could buy Luffy meat and the captain’s eyes shone so much that he ended accepting. If meat was in the middle Luffy was always like that so it was probable that Mariano had used it only to get him to receive the money.

Now it was luckily Sanji’s free day and he was glad for it. The last week had been hectic since they had been missing Mariano so now Sanji just wanted to rest in his bed. He spent a good time in the bed lying awake with Luffy hugging him. He didn’t want to wake Luffy since the day would officially begin with that and he would have to get up and do things, whatever they might be.

Some time passed by and he felt Luffy stirring up in his sleep and he knew that he would wake up soon. Not long passed and Luffy opened his eyes and with smile he asked for breakfast. Sanji’s heart skipped a beat, but when it went back to normal he told Luffy that he had to let him go if he wanted to eat. Luffy rested his head in his shoulder and then freed him from his gentle grip.

Sanji stood up from the bed, but when he was going to the kitchen Luffy stopped him. He turned around and Luffy got up too. He went to his side and said that he wanted for him to rest longer, but that he was also really hungry. Luffy had a weird expression as if containing his hunger and being shy about it too, which was strange coming from him. However, Sanji had to admit that it was rather _cute_ , but he didn’t want to think about that too much.

“And what do you want me do then? We have to eat and it’s rather late too,” he said because he really didn’t understand what Luffy wanted.

“I don’t know. Maybe we can have breakfast here in the bed and spend some time lazing around. You don’t have work today so,” Luffy said and his cheeks were red, something that distracted Sanji from the actual conversation.

When he regained composure he said, “But we never do that and we may dirty the bed.”

“No, we won’t! Everything’s gonna be cool! Think about it: we eat and hug for some time and after that we think what we are gonna have for lunch,” Luffy said with more confidence and Sanji was falling for that trick all too soon.

If anything for Sanji the hugging part was confusing because that was something they only did when sleeping and now being fully awake was different to say the least. It sounded all too much like they were going to cuddle like a couple and they definitely weren’t like that so he didn’t know if it was necessary. Luffy kept looking at him with a smile, but after seeing that he wasn’t saying anything his smile faltered and said that they didn’t have to if he didn’t want to do it. Sanji was way too weak when Luffy got like that lately so with a sigh he accepted to his request and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast with a happy Luffy next to him.

When he was ready he put the food in one big tray. He prepared toasts with eggs and orange juice since he thought they wouldn’t dirty too much the sheets. They went back together to the room and closed the door with the lock so Bacon wouldn’t bother them trying to eat the food. When they settled in the bed they started eating and Luffy ate everything quickly. He ushered Sanji to do the same since he said he wanted to rest in the bed with him. Sanji’s heart went crazy with that, but he ate fast like Luffy had told him and finished soon.

Luffy put down the tray in the floor by his side of the bed and when he was ready he made Sanji lie in the bed fully facing the roof. Sanji felt rather embarrassed and wanted to escape from the situation saying it was really too late to laze in the bed, but he didn’t have time because Luffy lay next to him and hugged him firmly but softly too. He surrounded him with his arms and even put a leg over his hips. Sanji was having trouble breathing and his face was hot, but Luffy didn’t see it because he rested his head in the nook of his neck.

While Luffy searched for the right position Sanji was stiff as a stick. He didn’t know where to put his hands or if to try to sleep. It should be really easy since they had slept like that for months, but the light and the fact that they were doing this because they wanted to be together made it different. Sanji was freaking out in every possible way when Luffy asked him if he had a problem or something. Talking about what was bothering Sanji was in his opinion worse so he decided to calm down and relax.

He let his head fall close to Luffy’s and he put his hands to hold Luffy’s arms gently. He heard Luffy sigh in his neck and Sanji’s stomach made a jump inside him along with his heart beating madly. He closed his eyes to stop the strong feeling and that seemed to calm down his erratic heart a little. After a while he felt actually dozing off and he had heard Luffy’s snores so he knew he was sleeping already. With that he couldn’t resist anymore and fell asleep too.

Sanji woke up after about an hour since he really wasn’t used to laze around in bed. It had been comfortable and revitalizing, but it was time for them to get up for lunch since it was already almost one in the afternoon. Sanji had never been in bed until that hour since he was probably a kid so it was hard to even remember of something like that, though having Luffy with him there made it alright.

He shook him and by miracle Luffy woke up almost immediately. He said that he was hungry and asked him for food. Sanji smiled and told him that first he needed to stop hugging him and after that he could start. Luffy got up with a smile and turned to stand up, but when his feet landed on the floor, Sanji heard glass shattering and Luffy said a simple “ouch”.

Sanji hurried to his side and Luffy wanted to stand up properly, but he made him rest his legs on the bed. Sanji saw that the plates and glasses were all broken and blood was scattered there, but luckily it wasn’t much. He examined Luffy’s feet and both had pieces of glass and the dishes cutting the flesh. Some cuts were only scratches, but in the right foot Luffy had a big piece of one of the glasses penetrating probably past the skin and Sanji wondered how all he had said was “ouch” when it must have hurt a lot.

He didn’t know what to do as this was past everything Sanji could actually help with. He didn’t have the skills or the knowledge to take out broken glass from Luffy’s skin. He didn’t know if he had to disinfect the wound, pull out the glass, stop the bleeding or let it be until it was cured by expert hands. He was freaking out, but he understood that he had to take care of the situation since the one in pain was Luffy. Sanji would take care of Luffy and he would find a solution soon no matter what.

Since Sanji didn’t know what to do he opted to change into his day clothes quickly and only made Luffy put on the vest he had used yesterday. Luffy asked him what he was doing and it seemed he was very calm even if his feet were hurt, but he still explained that he was taking him to the hospital. Luffy didn’t try to fight his decision and let Sanji carry him to the hospital. He wanted to take Bacon with them, but Sanji told the cat that he had to take care of the house and stay away from their room. He felt stupid for talking with a cat, but it seemed Bacon understood and only meowed behind them when they left.

The wound was still bleeding and while Sanji hadn’t moved anything from there for that same reason he knew he had to be quick in getting Luffy to the hospital. He was actually thankful that they had gone there already so he somehow knew where to go and what to do. Sanji knew that with the first-aid kit they had at their house it wouldn’t be enough to cure Luffy’s wounds so he only hoped they would attend him fast upon their arrival.

He didn’t have time to walk or even run through the city so he used his techniques and sky walked towards the hospital. Sanji asked Luffy if he was in too much pain, but he shook his head and said that he really liked seeing the earth down below like that. In another occasion he would have smiled, but now he only said that he would take him when he was better to sky walk with him through the forest. Luffy smiled at him and continued to hold him by the neck while he cradled him and had his legs over his arms. If the situation was different then it would have looked like Sanji was carrying Luffy like a bride, but he didn’t pay attention to that.

Above the city Sanji felt that people wondered out loud what was going on and in no time he was next to the hospital. He descended to enter and while he didn’t want to make a scandal, he was also terrified for Luffy so he went inside and told the security guard that his friend had hurt his feet with glass and that the wound was bleeding. The man guided them to the urgency section of the building and informed the nurses there of the situation. The nurses made him wait a little and after a short while they called Luffy for the triage.

They made Sanji put Luffy in a stretcher and one nurse asked information about Luffy’s life or diseases, but Luffy answered that he didn’t have any and that he had had tons of wounds, some even fatal, so this was only another one. The nurse that attended Luffy then examined his wound and said that she would send him to a box so the doctor could pull the glass out and clean the wound.

She made a nursing assistant bring a wheelchair, but Sanji didn’t want Luffy to perhaps worsen his wounds so he picked him again in the same way as before and went to the other room while the nurse told him that he was exaggerating. Sanji heard Luffy chuckle and he got kind of mad, but he kept quiet since the one that was hurting was the captain and if he got distracted then it was better.

Sanji put Luffy in another stretcher and they waited for a doctor. Not long passed when finally a doctor went inside the box. It was a middle aged man that upon seeing them seemed to be really surprised, but then began with his work. He introduced himself as Nai and started asking Luffy about past wounds like the nurse. Luffy answered the same as before and then the doctor examined Luffy’s feet.

The doctor said that the injuries were fine at most parts, but that the shattered glass in the right foot was kind of problematic. Sanji grew nervous about that while Luffy seemed really calm. Sanji asked the doctor if that meant that Luffy would need surgery, but the doctor only laughed well-naturedly and said that for the removal it was necessary a simple procedure and that it was only the “most difficult part” of that injury and nothing more serious than that.

With that Sanji calmed down and Luffy told him that he was worrying too much, something he really didn’t want to hear coming from Luffy that was a worrywart sometimes too. He still decided that he couldn’t get mad at Luffy right now since he was the patient here so he paid attention to the doctor’s work on Luffy’s skin.

The doctor called a nurse to bring him the surgical tools and before Sanji had the time to ask him why he was going to do a surgery, the man said that the equipment was named like that. He took things Sanji had seen Chopper using before so he guessed it really wasn’t something different or that critical and even like that he knew that he would only relax when Luffy was walking on his two feet.

The doctor Nai began cleaning Luffy’s wound gently. He commented that most of the glass was already out and that the only piece that was missing was the big one in the right foot. Sanji was by Luffy’s side in case he needed something so he only knew about the status of the injury through the doctor’s words. He asked the doctor if that wound was still bleeding and the man said that it wasn’t bleeding profusely but that he still had to remove the glass.

Then he took a pin and told Sanji to hold Luffy’s hand because it was going to hurt. He did as told and grabbed Luffy’s hand to calm him, but Luffy didn’t seem to be worried or even nervous and only stared at their hands as if a lot more interested in that. If it worked as a distraction then Sanji was glad to help and ran his thumb over Luffy’s hand. Luffy smiled and Sanji got lost on his expression so when the doctor said that the glass was out he was surprised. Luffy was in the same state and said that he didn’t feel a thing. The doctor commented that it was probably the good company and Luffy smiled widely and tightened the grip of his hand in his.

The man told them that he still needed to clean the whole wound and then patch it so Luffy couldn’t move yet. While he cleaned with serums and gauzes the injury, Sanji held Luffy’s hand with a firm but tender grip. He continued running his thumb over the backside of his hand in case he was uncomfortable, but Luffy never said anything regarding displeasure.

When the doctor was done patching up the injury of both feet he went to wash his hands and when he came back he gave them instructions.

“From what you told me you live together, right?” The doctor said and they nodded so he added, “Well, then the Mister here won’t be able to move for about a week and after that he will continue with his normal life, but he will still have to be careful so not going to the forests or the beach or getting the wound wet for two weeks.”

Luffy made an alarmed face as if the doctor was telling him to gift a kidney instead of just resting. Sanji knew him too well so he understood why he was like that. He comprehended immediately that Luffy would stay alone in the house bored and that wasn’t good in his opinion, but his health was more important. And even like that Sanji was sure that he would probably walk right away when they left the hospital, but he would try to make him actually follow the doctor’s instructions.

The doctor continued talking while Luffy looked impossibly more mortified. “You will have to come here to get the wounds clean for these two weeks. A nurse will tend to your wounds and here’s some painkiller for you.”

The doctor handed the medicaments to Sanji and he accepted them since he was the responsible one here. Luffy and he thought that they were done with the examination so Sanji started picking Luffy up by the arm to carry him like in the morning, but the doctor told them to wait. They looked puzzled at the man and he coughed a little, as if embarrassed about what he was about to say. When it seemed he finally found courage he spoke up.

“It’s nice seeing you support each other so much, you know? Kinda reminds me of when I was young,” the man said and Sanji didn’t know where he was going with this or why he even cared about them in the first place.

“We are really nice friends so of course we have each other’s backs!” Luffy exclaimed and the doctor smiled at them, but Sanji could see that there was something hidden.

“Friends are incredibly important after all, but sometimes you need something more…” The doctor said and Sanji was really confused. What was he trying to say?

“Nah, I’m fine with what I have. Can we leave now?” It seemed Luffy grew as tired as Sanji felt with the indirect questions and he was thankful for that.

Sanji began picking Luffy up again, but the doctor stopped them and said, “Yes, you can, but like what were you doing when this accident happened?”

Sanji was now completely sure the doctor was crazy because why did he even care? It didn’t lead them anywhere and it wouldn’t help Luffy get better in any way so it was just him trying to find out about something that was really simple. Luffy for his part didn’t seem to care and said something that for Sanji didn’t sound too right now in the open. Maybe it was okay for them in the privacy of their house, but in the public? Hell no.

“We were sleeping in our bed and by mistake I walked over the tray with the dishes from breakfast,” Luffy said nonchalantly and Sanji was dying inside. If this was awkward for him when they were alone, now he was freaking out.

He didn’t want the doctor to misunderstand, but he also didn’t know what to say. It was like his tongue was caught, but Luffy told him to grab him again properly this time. He did, but as he picked Luffy from the stretcher he started clarifying how things were to the doctor.

“We were having breakfast and that’s it. Things just got messed up a little,” Sanji said and he held Luffy like before while he put his arms around his neck.

“Okay, okay. You can go now, kids, but don’t be too rough!” The doctor said with a satisfied smile and Sanji didn’t know if he understood well how things were.

They went out of the hospital with everyone looking at them. Sanji felt himself blush because the sight was kind of weird; why would the King of the Pirates need to be carried around like a bride when he was so strong on his own? He knew that the city would gossip endlessly about it and that the staff from the restaurant would tease them until he threatened to fire them or something.

He opted to go through another path that was more secluded from the people’s eyes and even then whoever saw them looked amazed and confused. When they arrived at the house Sanji was tired, but he cleaned the remaining shattered glass in the floor so no one would get hurt by it. Then he prepared lunch too so he left Luffy resting in the bed. The captain didn’t want to lie there all day, but the instructions were that he had to rest and he would attend him the best way possible. The only good thing was that at least it had been in his free day so for now he could watch over him. He would have to see how they would handle it tomorrow, but that was something for later; now Luffy had to eat.

Sanji cooked something good with the little time he had. On top of a bored Luffy, a hungry Luffy was no good by any means so he prepared something he knew he would like: meat with mashed potatoes. He chopped the meat so it was easier for him to eat it in the bed and when he was ready he went to the room where Bacon was abnormally behaving. He wanted the cat out of the place, but it didn’t do anything and seemed to be guarding Luffy in his stead.

He served the dish to Luffy in a tray and this time he used a plastic plate, but Luffy said that he wasn’t a kid to use that. Sanji only deadpanned since he didn’t want to argue with Luffy. He knew it was only an accident, but that didn’t change that if they hadn’t lazed around in bed and instead had breakfast at the table as always then nothing of this would have happened. He seriously didn’t want to blame Luffy for this so he stayed quiet and waited for him to be done eating.

Luffy told him to eat with him and he really had no reason not to so he looked for his own food. He sat on his side of the bed and observed Luffy eat like an animal. He liked seeing him enjoying his food even if it was very wild sometimes too and this time it was no different. However, he got lost on thoughts.

Since he was a man of plans, now that he was more relaxed, finally the part that thought ahead of time wondered how they would do things for that day. Tomorrow was another story, but even today was a mystery. First of all, Sanji would need to carry and accompany Luffy to the bathroom at all times for the first days, which was something tiring to even think about. Second, Luffy would have to shower less, but that wouldn’t do it. It wasn’t because Luffy had to smell good but because the tattoo was still healing so he had to keep himself clean, especially in that area of the skin.

He was really distracted when he felt Luffy getting closer to him. He was done eating already and he only paid attention to Luffy when he put the tray away in the middle of the bed. After that he rested his head in his shoulder and seemed to relax, though in Sanji’s case he was dying and he didn’t know what that meant or what Luffy could want.

“You’re overthinking a lot in your head,” he said and he didn’t respond anything so Luffy continued. “I’m happy that you are thinking of ways to help me though.”

He felt his heart do that leap again and he went stiff. It was strange to feel so embarrassed and good at the same time. It was a weird combination and only Luffy managed to make him feel like that. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, but most of the time it was overwhelming. It made it hard for him to think straight and sometimes even breathe looked like a challenge so he preferred to forget the sensation altogether.

Sanji took a deep breath and said, “Well, I need to know how we’ll arrange things. You can’t walk so that means I’ll have to carry you for this week. You’ll have to be at the restaurant too.”

Luffy looked up and said, “I don’t think I need to rest that much, though of course I like being around you. It’s just that I never spent more than three days recuperating so this is no different.”

Sanji looked at Luffy and sighed. There was no way he was going to convince Luffy to rest. “It’s true, but for at least these three days I want you to rest close to me.”

Luffy smiled at him and Sanji’s heart went crazy once again and it was doing that too many times lately. He had to find a good solution to that feeling; it was overwhelming.

At the end Luffy rested his head against shoulder again and said, “Yeah, I can do that. I can rest close to you.”

He felt the urge to hug him for some reason, but he preferred to just keep staring at Bacon that leveled him with a strange expression, as if mocking him or daring him to do something. It was strange to think a simple cat could do that, but he had that impression and seriously what did the animal want?

Before he went crazy, Sanji felt Luffy sleeping soundly in his shoulder. He rested his weight over him without a care in the world and Sanji didn’t have it in him to move him. He was probably tired from having to spend so much time at the hospital so he let him there lying beside him. For his part he really didn’t know what to do. This definitely wasn’t how he expected the day to go and he grew bored of holding Luffy in place. He couldn’t smoke with him on top since he didn’t want to dirty him so he just looked through the window the sun moving in the sky.

When he was going insane from boredom he felt the door being knocked on. He moved Luffy from his left shoulder and tried to get him to sleep in the pillows, but he woke up much to his chagrin. He rubbed his eyes and asked him where he was going and he said that someone was knocking on the door so he would see who it was. That didn’t pick Luffy’s attention and he continued sleeping, but this time in Sanji’s pillow.

Sanji really didn’t mind that so he went to the door and when he opened it he saw that outside the house Tea and Roque were waiting. He made the couple enter with a small smile and told them to sit in the couch. Sometimes they came to visit them because Luffy had befriended them. They were nice and it was cool to know people from the island so for Sanji it was fun to have them around. It did make things easier since he could leave the island sometimes thanks to them as they were really responsible. He had done that when going to the All Blue and it had proved to be a good decision.

They asked for Luffy and before he even got to say that he was sleeping, he came running from the room like a chicken without a head. He jumped from one foot to the other and Sanji wanted to kill him. They had agreed that he wouldn’t move and yet here he was running. He scowled and exclaimed angrily, letting out all the rage he felt in that moment.

“Luffy! The doctor said that you couldn’t move! Why do you never listen to anything?”

Luffy didn’t get to greet the newcomers and pouted. “Aw, come on! I need to move or I’m gonna die, Sanji.”

It was like Sanji forgot all about the visitors in his house and stood up to make Luffy at least sit. When he pulled him to his side he did it gently and once he was seated he said, “You have been resting for less than an hour! It’s not so difficult!”

“But it’s boring if you aren’t with me! Or were you going to bring the guys over our room?” Luffy asked him still with the same pout and now a scowl.

“Or I could have brought you here! You aren’t heavy so it’s easy carrying you around!” Sanji felt how his voice was getting louder, but something in him was deafening his senses.

“Oh, so you’re saying you’re gonna carry me around all these days?”

“Yeah, I’ll carry you my whole life if it’s needed so you’re gonna listen to what I say!”

Luffy’s whole expression changed and it seemed he was startled. Then he blushed and Sanji wondered if he had transgressed a boundary treating Luffy like that, but more than anything Luffy looked more embarrassed than actually mad. Only at that moment Sanji realized that they weren’t alone and he looked at the couple too that seemed to be really uncomfortable by their fight. Sometimes they just got heated up in front of other people and it was embarrassing. When Mariano was around they sometimes fought too and it was clear he hated it.

After a short while of silence Sanji knew that he had to apologize for his words; Luffy, despite the journey being over, was still his captain and he had to respect him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” he said with a sigh and Luffy coughed up a little.

When it seemed he regained composure his blush wasn’t so notorious, but the red color was still there in his cheeks though barely visible. He looked at him with a hidden emotion and Sanji didn’t know what to make out of that at all. Was he mad at him or he didn’t care?

“It’s okay. I should listen when you’re worried about me,” he said and Luffy’s shy expression and words made something inside Sanji’s heart melt.

He didn’t know what to say and from one look he understood that this wasn’t something the couple, even if they were their friends, should be witnessing. He only nodded and stood up to offer the couple drinks. They accepted and Luffy had a grimace, but he didn’t understand why he was like that. Was he waiting for him to say something else? He didn’t have a clue and Luffy had to comprehend that there were visitors and that whatever the problem it had to be discussed in private.

Sanji prepared juice for the couple of friends and he took out some cookies he had hidden from Luffy the last night. He looked betrayed that he hadn’t shown them to him, but he wanted them to be a surprise and after the whole mess of the morning he had sincerely forgotten. He served the beverage and the cookies for everyone to eat and when Luffy tried to eat most of the cookies Sanji scolded him since he had no manners. With that Luffy’s grimace turned into a scowl and it was clear he was mad at him now. He wouldn’t back down from those words though, because Luffy needed to get that other people also had to eat aside from him. It was true that now Luffy was Sanji’s priority in the “who-to-cook-for-first” list and he couldn’t deny it, but that didn’t mean the rest weren’t included there.

Roque and Tea tried to liven up the mood, but Sanji and Luffy were as in a different dimension, completely disconnected of what was happening in front of them. At the end the couple seemed to get bored or tired of the situation and said that they would leave for the day. Neither Luffy nor Sanji wanted that, but he had the sensation they didn’t want to see their interactions for that day at least.

He guided them outside the door and when they were below the stairs Sanji closed the door. He went back inside the house and he really didn’t know what to do. It was like Luffy and him were mad at each other, but he really didn’t think that was the case. Another emotion or perception was in the way, but Sanji couldn’t see past Luffy’s apparent angriness so he was lost on a proper course of action.

Sanji didn’t say anything and went to Luffy’s side. He made a sign that he was going to pick Luffy up and he only nodded. He grabbed him and was careful with his feet when he put his legs over his arms. It was strange to carry someone like that and he had to admit that he had dreamed of doing this with his wife, something Luffy clearly wasn’t, so it was foreign for Sanji.

He preferred to stop thinking of the similarity of Luffy with a wife and when he was inside the room he put him in his side of the bed gently. He picked the trays they used for lunch and he didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure if Luffy was mad at him so he didn’t know if going back into the bedroom was a good idea. He could stay at the kitchen with the excuse of cooking a new recipe, but Luffy could get madder (if he was) than before.

He was pondering about what to do when he heard Luffy yelling at him to come already. In his voice there was a command, but Sanji couldn’t feel anger in him and that confused him further. He was as lost as the moss head this time with Luffy for some reason because it was like something was moving in their lives, _between them_ , and he didn’t know what to make of it. He liked their friendship how it was, but in the time they spent together something became deeper and he didn’t know what to do with it.

The special emotion in his heart was different and new and he sometimes hated it, but most of the time he liked the feeling and happiness had somehow found its way in his life. It wasn’t like he wasn’t content before, but this time it was distinct. It was seriously a type of different happiness; it provoked a milder euphoria, blissfulness, but it was slower than that fire.

He got distracted thinking about everything and Luffy yelled again. He was back to his side and asked him if needed something, but he only said that he was bored. Sanji thought that perhaps playing card games could help and brought the deck to the bed. They used to play at the Sunny, but he knew that it wouldn’t be nearly as fun as it was with the crew. There weren’t that many games for two people after all and the ones that were suited normally required some movement and Luffy had to stay resting.

Sanji didn’t know what game to suggest so Luffy had a better idea, according to him of course. He said that it would be cool to create a new game, one no one had ever seen or thought about before. Sanji was skeptic about that. How would they even come up with something no one had played before? As that idea was better than letting Luffy die of boredom he let him plan the game.

Since it was Luffy obviously it was a strange idea and game. It didn’t make any sense and it didn’t hold coherence so the rules were made up out of nowhere. He explained the game to Sanji and they tried playing, but the rules kept changing to favor Luffy into winning. Sanji played despite knowing that he would never win and even if at some point he felt kind of mad, Luffy’s smile made him have a good time.

They spent the whole afternoon playing made up games by Luffy that Sanji was sure he would never remember their rules again. When it was time for dinner he prepared something quick and simple so Luffy could eat it without making a mess in the bedroom. After both were done with their food they went to sleep since they really had nothing to do. Even playing card games had gotten boring so they supposed they could sleep.

As always Luffy wanted to hug Sanji while sleeping, but Sanji said that he could kick him in his sleep and hurt him so they couldn’t do it. Luffy pouted and Sanji was about to give in, but then he remembered that he didn’t know how to heal Luffy in any way and he wanted him safe so he didn’t allow himself to be weak and was firm in staying away from him.

They were apart from each other and Sanji felt like he was missing a part of his soul for dramatic that it sounded; he had grown too used to having Luffy hugging him every night and it was hard to picture a time where he wouldn’t do that.

Before sleeping Sanji pondered about the fact that Luffy would eventually leave the island and his house and he felt incredibly sad. However, it wasn’t like those times where he thought that Luffy would go and would leave him alone; no, this time he was actually going to miss having Luffy close instead of missing having anyone by his side. If Luffy went away then he wouldn’t be terrified of being alone; he would just miss Luffy so much it hurt to even think about it.

With a heavy heart Sanji fell asleep preferring to treasure the time he still had with Luffy. Another day he would worry about that; now he had to take care of Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter important things happen so stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji notices that is already time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic! Currently I have been writing the last chapters of this story and it's been kind of tiring since uni has been tough, but I like this fic too much to just give up on it!   
> I think I have two more weeks of writing and I have been considering that once I'm over writing I may post chapters twice a week. The main reason why I usually post once per week is so I can have time to write, but if I'm done then it's okay.  
> Okay, I'm sorry for talking so much so as always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this one!

26.

 

From one look Sanji could understand that Luffy was bored out of his mind and that hurt for much that he tried to hide it. It was obvious it would happen at some point, but it really didn’t make it any less painful; he really had grown too used and perhaps even weak to having Luffy around so much. He knew that he wouldn’t feel alone if Luffy left because he had made friends with some people from the town and even the cooks, but his captain’s absence was going to create a big hole in his life. And yet he also knew that he couldn’t continue to be selfish anymore and he had to let Luffy go if he wanted; he had already overcome his fear of loneliness and it wasn’t fair to have him there if he preferred to be somewhere else.

It wasn’t hard to notice that he was bored either. Since Luffy’s feet had been hurt the last week, he spent the first three days in the restaurant with Sanji without moving or walking. Sadly, Sanji couldn’t accompany him all the time, but he did carry him to the hospital to get his wounds clean and the nurse was surprised that the injuries were healed so fast so when a week passed by he was discharged of any further treatment and he could move wherever he wanted to.

In Sanji’s head that meant that it was the right time to tell Luffy that he could go if he desired because he wasn’t afraid anymore. One could say that Sanji was lying about that, but he really wasn’t: with Luffy next to him something had fixed inside him and that missing part he always felt in his heart was filled. Therefore, the pain he would probably feel when he left would be born from the absence of him as a friend and not because he _needed_ to be with someone. Sanji was past that and it was a great feeling, but Luffy would still go and he had to be sincere: he didn’t want that.

He still had to think of a way to make it sound good and not like he was kicking Luffy out. He had the other things planned though. Sanji had used the money that Mariano had given him as a rent to buy a new ship for Luffy because the old boat he had when he first arrived at the island was beyond repair. He would have to use of his own money so Luffy could have food and other provisions, but he knew that he would never realize and that was good; he didn’t want him thinking he owed him anything.

So, the only thing missing was actually telling Luffy that he was okay now and that _only_ if he wanted he could leave. Sanji had thought that when they were tranquil at dinner it would be better to speak so he waited the whole day with a heavy heart for the right hour, past the closing of the restaurant. He had tried to be impassive about the whole thing as to not raise suspicion in Luffy so he acted normally even when he was hurting and just wanted to be alone in his bed away from everything.

When the time to close the restaurant came Sanji sent everyone home and went upstairs with Luffy that looked happy, which made Sanji’s heart hurt even more. He was still next to him, but he was already missing him and he didn’t want to think how it would be when he was actually out at sea and the night fell with him on the house without the captain.

He had prepared something good for that night and he knew that Luffy would love it because he had used fish from the All Blue in a last dinner type of way. That was probably the main reason why Luffy was so happy and Sanji felt kind of bad that he didn’t have any idea of his real intentions. He seriously only hoped that Luffy could understand that he would tell him to go _if_ he wanted and not that he was kicking him out.

In the house Bacon was waiting for them meowing and Sanji knew that he probably wanted the food he had prepared and he thought that it couldn’t be too bad if he ate some of it. That way he served three portions under the heavy stare of Luffy that seemed not to get why he was giving Bacon fish when he had always said that the cat couldn’t eat. Sanji didn’t want to make it obvious, but with that action it was a good introductory manner to let Luffy know of what he had been thinking the last week.

Sanji put a portion of the fish in Bacon’s bowl and the cat went crazy while eating. Luffy stared at him the whole time and when he was washing his hands to serve them, he finally asked him what he was expecting.

“Why are you giving him our food? You always said that he couldn’t eat things from the All Blue ’cause he was just a cat,” Luffy said and it was obvious he was having a hard time grasping what Sanji was doing.

Because of that Sanji knew that Luffy for the first time in forever actually didn’t know what was going on with him or what he had thought in that week. It was strange since he always had a way to get, _to understand_ , what happened with everyone and mostly with the crew. That was one of the many things that made Luffy a great friend and captain and what made so many people stay by his side.

“Because I think he deserves it today,” Sanji said and saw how Luffy made a puzzled face so he added, “Maybe it’s the last chance he has.”

Luffy’s eyes widened and seemed to grow worried and said, “What are you talking about? It’s like he’s gonna die or something.”

Sanji prepared everything and when he was ready he made Luffy sit at the table. He wanted him to answer him immediately, but he only did it when they were both seated.

“It isn’t that, but it’s a possibility,” he said and under Luffy’s worried eyes he continued, “I have been thinking this past week that maybe it’s time for you to leave.”

Sanji saw how Luffy’s eyes went from worry to pain in less than a second and understood that his words came out in the worst way possible. He had been so nervous about messing up that he screwed it up more at the end.

“I didn’t mean it like that! I’m sorry if it sounded like that! It’s not that I don’t want you here, but I just wonder if you’re actually okay here…”  Sanji wanted to say “with me” too, but he didn’t feel it was right.

“What do you mean, Sanji? I’m fine here,” Luffy said and there was still pain noticeable in his voice and he felt terrible.

“I mean if you feel happy or I don’t know…interested here, I guess? Are you bored here, Luffy?” Sanji asked and he braced himself for the upcoming answer; he still had some hope Luffy would stay.

Luffy took his time to think and that was killing Sanji. It was like he had brought a hard topic in dinner when normally Luffy would be already crying after tasting food from the All Blue at this point. When it seemed he finally had a response to what he was asking he looked at Bacon before speaking.

“I’m happy here, but if you think I should leave then…” He continued looking at Bacon and Sanji didn’t know how to make this easier. He had chosen his words too carelessly.

“It’s not that I want you to leave, Luffy, but now I’m sure that I’m okay being alone and I don’t want to tie you into just one place when I’m already alright,” Sanji said trying to tell Luffy things properly, but he had the idea that he wasn’t saying everything he had in his mind.

Luffy’s face still looked pained, but in the middle he smiled upon hearing him, and he looked up and said, “I’m glad you feel fine, Sanji!”

Then he looked down at his food and started to eat with hurry. In a mere minute he was done with everything and while he licked the plate clean he said nonchalantly something that Sanji had never wanted to hear.

“I’ll leave soon, Sanji. I think it’s time.”

………………………………………

Sanji woke up the next day with Luffy hugging him so tightly he felt some parts of his skin numb. He asked him gently to let him go, but he was still sleeping and since he didn’t want to yell something rude to him he only told him in a loud voice that breakfast was ready. Luffy opened his eyes with clear hunger in them, but seemed to realize quickly that he was still in bed with Sanji and didn’t get up like he was expecting. Instead, he held Sanji more firmly and it was almost asphyxiating, but it didn’t last too long and he let go.

Sanji was puzzled about Luffy’s actions, but he only said that it was to keep the sensation more engrained in his memory and Sanji’s heart went crazy with emotions. He blamed it on Luffy leaving and didn’t make a comment about what he said. He got up once he was freed from Luffy’s strong grip and went to the kitchen with Bacon that had stayed to sleep there with them the whole night unlike as in most times when he waited to be fed in the kitchen. Maybe Bacon also perceived in a special way that Luffy would leave and that also meant he would go.

Sanji didn’t want to admit it, but the cat had become a part of his life even if at first he was very skeptical about having him. Bacon always accompanied them when they were at the house and even to their trips to the All Blue so Sanji felt like he was a part of his family already and letting him go was going to hurt too. Luffy would leave with his smiles, laughs, funny antics and Bacon and Sanji would miss him so much that the mere thought that he would have to arrange everything for him to go was killing him.

He prepared meat for breakfast because he knew that Luffy would miss that the most out of his cuisine so he cooked it to near perfection. After Luffy fed Bacon he ate his breakfast and Sanji saw some tears welling up in Luffy’s eyes, but he looked happy so he thought he was just glad to eat something good. He ate his breakfast too and no one said anything in the whole while. It was like something would break if they spoke so Sanji remained silent and Luffy for his part seemed to be of the same mind.

They didn’t have much to talk about either way. They had agreed that Luffy would leave the next day, Friday, and that they would have to buy food for him and arrange water in the new ship, but other than that nothing was left to do. Luffy hadn't asked why Sanji had bought a ship so he assumed he didn’t care and it kind of hurt, but he thought it was mostly because he was oversensitive that week.

Sanji needed to tell Christina to handle the restaurant since he had to plan Luffy’s leaving so he waited until the cooks arrived to inform her. When the whole staff was at the restaurant Sanji told Christina that Luffy was going to leave tomorrow from the island and everyone was perplexed. He had somehow foreseen that reaction, but their faces showed a lot more shock than what he had expected. He understood that they would miss Luffy because he was lovable to most people, but it was like he had told them that the sun wouldn’t appear the next morning. In a way it truly was like that if he thought about it, but it still was too exaggerated.

Christina asked Sanji to speak with her in private so they went to the office and Luffy stayed behind with the cooks that were puzzled about what the woman could want with him. When they arrived at Sanji’s office he closed the door and she began speaking.

“Boss, why is Luffy leaving? Did you fight?” She asked and she looked so worried about the whole thing.

“No, we didn’t. He just wants to leave and it’s understandable,” Sanji said and sighed. It hurt more to talk about it than to just think in his head about Luffy leaving.

“But you are…so close. How can he leave when you ar-”

“If he wants to leave there’s nothing I can do. It’s his decision at the end so that’s it. I need you to take care of things here so please only do that for today,” Sanji said, feeling rage almost clouding his thoughts. He made a sign for Christina to leave and he stayed behind to calm down.

It was surprising how mad he got with just a few words, but he was in a really bad mood and couldn’t help it. When he relaxed a little he knew that he would have to apologize to Christina, but before that he needed to settle everything Luffy might need so he went back to the kitchen where everyone was silent. Even Luffy seemed to be quiet, but he didn’t comment on it and said that they would buy equipment for his new trip.

With that they left and went into the downtown to buy things in the market. They bought a lot of food and other things that could be necessary like candles, matches, blankets and tools to repair the ship if it was needed. Sanji really hoped that Luffy would be able to last more than two weeks at sea with that food because he was very capable of eating everything in a day. Luffy also didn’t have any idea on how to fix anything, less a ship, so Sanji was almost praying that nothing happened to the ship he would be using, otherwise he would drown.

After some hours of buying supplies for the ship, Luffy and Bacon, they went back with their hands full to the house. They carried boxes and left them at the house since they would set the new ship tomorrow morning. Since it was past lunch hour Luffy was starving and Sanji decided to prepare something great for him. He picked the most refined meat he had at the restaurant and cooked it to excellence.

Luffy ate it with the same tears welling up and Sanji was starting to get worried, but as soon as they started, they stopped. Sanji couldn’t deny that one of the things that made him the happiest was seeing Luffy enjoy the food he prepared for him so it would be so difficult to truly not feel that sensation in his everyday life. He opted to focus on what was in front of him and just marveled in having someone that made him feel as happy as Luffy to stop his thoughts from becoming dark.

When they were done Luffy asked Sanji if he would go back to work, but he said that he didn’t think it was necessary since it was rather late anyway. Sanji didn’t know if Luffy understood that he was staying with him because he wanted to be with him for the last moments together, but he preferred to keep those thoughts just in his mind since there was a feeling of embarrassment in revealing that to him.

Sanji asked Luffy what he wanted to do for the remaining of the day and he said that he wished to go to the riverside of the island. Sanji thought that it was a good idea and they left with Bacon. It didn’t take them too long to arrive since they walked fast, as if they knew that they didn’t have much time to be with each other. Sanji asked Luffy if he wanted to ride a gondola to sightsee the river, but he refused and said that he was just wanted to be with him.

Something inside Sanji felt like breaking and exploding, all at the same time, but he didn’t focus on that sensation and opted to walk beside Luffy like he wanted. They watched the river without saying anything and that was strange since Luffy was never quiet, but Sanji himself didn’t know what to talk about. He was almost reminded of the awkwardness of first dates, but this was so opposite and different to what was happening that he discarded the thought immediately.

Between their never-ending silence, Bacon meowed trying to get their attention and that seemed to do the trick because Luffy picked him up and he began speaking. Even if he commented about the “stupid birds” that Bacon couldn’t get to eat, Sanji was happy to hear him. He laughed well-naturedly every now and then and finally the mood in the air was normal.

It was odd, but the more they walked, the more Sanji wanted to be closer to Luffy. It was strange since he was right beside him, but it was something irrational and somehow he yearned for that contact. He hoped they would hug in the night, though it was really probable since they had been doing that for about three months. Everything would end tomorrow and that left Sanji feeling miserable, but he didn’t want to show Luffy a sad face upon his departure so he only paid attention back to his smile.

He bought food for Luffy and Bacon and they seemed happy because usually he never did that when they went to the river. When the sun was hiding in the horizon Luffy said that he wanted to visit Roque and Tea one last time before leaving and they went in the direction of their house. Sanji knew that it would be kind of unexpected for them this new information, but since they had become friends it was only fair to tell them that Luffy was leaving tomorrow.

They arrived to the couple’s house late since they worked past seven o’ clock. They received them with happy smiles, but they changed quickly when they found out the reason they had to visit them. Just like the staff from the restaurant they were a lot more shocked than what Sanji was expecting and he really didn’t understand why. It was true that he had never commented exactly why Luffy was staying with him to anyone else since he only trusted his captain enough with that information, but he was a free soul and had lived a good portion of his life travelling so it wasn’t that strange; if anything it was more normal that he was out at sea than with him, but perhaps they just didn’t know him as much.

The couple asked worriedly why Luffy was leaving and Sanji had the impression that they wanted to ask just like Christina if they had fought, but for some reason they didn’t. Luffy only answered that it was the right time and didn’t say anything else. In Sanji’s heart those words hurt, but he couldn’t stop him from leaving if he wanted; he had been selfish enough keeping him in the island just because he was scared of being alone.

To distract his mind he offered to cook everyone dinner so he went to the kitchen alone. He prepared pasta and when he was in the middle of chopping tomatoes for the sauce, Roque appeared saying that he would set the table so he needed the cutlery. While he searched for the knives and forks he gave him worried looks. Sanji grew tired of his attitude since he usually spoke whatever first came to his mind so he made him stop.

“Is there anything you need with me?” He asked, but he knew very well what this was about and he was getting mad already.

 “Yeah, I was just curious. I mean, I always thought Luffy would stay for a very long time and now he leaves? It’s…strange.”

“If he wants to leave there’s nothing I can do. It’s his life and decision after all,” Sanji said with a scowl. Whenever anyone tried to talk about Luffy leaving he just got so angry.

“I never said you had to do something.” Roque looked at him with a strange face, as if reading right through him and Sanji didn’t like that one bit.

“No, but I feel like you’re implying that.” He continued slicing meat for the sauce while hoping the conversation would end soon.

He heard how Roque kept searching for plates and then he said, “You’re just interpreting that. Maybe it’s because _you_ are the one that wants to do something.”

Sanji stopped cooking and looked at Roque like he had told him those types of secrets no one should know about. After the initial shock, he felt his anger grow exponentially and had to breathe in and out many times to calm down since he didn’t want to cause a scandal right before Luffy’s departure. He was at that level of mad; he didn’t want to hear a word.

“I don’t want to do anything because there’s nothing to do! If he wants to go then he can! It’s his life…” He stopped looking at Roque because the pain was stronger than his rage.

“Okay, I understand. But it’s just weird that he leaves before-”

“When is food ready? I’m hungry, Sanji!”

Whatever Roque was going to say was stopped by Luffy’s loud scream from the living room. In any case he didn’t want to hear what the man had to say so he went to tell him that the sauce was about to be cooked. Roque stayed behind and after a short while he went to the dining room to set the table like he had first said. Only after Roque was definitely outside the kitchen Sanji resumed cooking again.

When he was ready he served the dinner for everyone and he had to admit that the mood was strange again. It was tense and it got worse when Tea asked Luffy why he hadn’t wanted a farewell party, something that Sanji hadn’t thought about if he was honest. As much as he wanted to focus on Luffy, he still was distracted on his own pain. Now thinking about it, it made no sense that Luffy hadn't asked for one. He loved parties and whenever he left a place he always proposed one to eat and drink. Sanji looked at Luffy puzzled because really, why hadn't he asked for a party when he had every right to?

Luffy only shook his head and said that he wanted something more personal with his close people, but that sounded so foreign coming from Luffy’s lips. Sanji noticed how Tea and Roque shared a look, but he didn’t know what to make out of it so he remained quiet waiting for the awkwardness to go away fast.

The rest of dinner was downright awful and Sanji’s only wish was for Luffy to have a great time next to his friends, but all of that was somehow ruined and he didn’t know who to blame. When it was past nine they went back to their house with the excuse that Bacon needed to eat, which was partially true, but the cat had already been fed by the couple chicken so it was not really because of that.

They bid farewell to Luffy with hugs and Tea promised Luffy that the next time he came back she would gift him a free tattoo. Luffy got excited and said that he would think of something he would like with a wide smile. With that they left and when they arrived at his house they just didn’t know what to do. It was too early to sleep and Luffy said he didn’t feel like playing games so Sanji thought that it would be good if they listened music.

Luffy normally liked to dance around the house when Sanji put the music device on, but this time he looked downhearted and didn’t move from the couch they were seated. At the end Sanji grew bored of seeing Luffy so dejected so he stood up and took Luffy’s hand. Luffy looked surprised when he guided him to the middle of the living room to dance.

It had been a long time since the last time they danced together. Sanji usually just watched Luffy dance while he cooked, but now he thought it was better to accompany him fully on it. At first Luffy had been astonished, but before the song they were listening to entered the chorus he took the lead and held Sanji by the waist. Back in the day Sanji wouldn’t have allowed this at all, but now it was okay, good even. He liked the sensation to have Luffy so close a lot so if there was a next time this happened he would let him hold him like this again.

Thinking that a next time would come in a long while, made something squeeze in Sanji’s heart, but he preferred to hold Luffy by the shoulders more firmly as if to ease the heartache. Luffy seemed to notice his action and responded with bringing him closer to his body. Sanji’s heart went crazy and he was seriously afraid that Luffy would feel how strongly it beat.

The music had a medium tempo so it wasn’t too fast or too slow and it made them sway at the rhythm easily. They weren’t really looking at each other and at least in Sanji’s case he felt kind of embarrassed. He didn’t know if Luffy was feeling the same since he couldn’t read his mind, but something told him that he was just as shy as he was now. He didn’t dare to look at him and he knew that something would break in him when he landed his eyes on him.

At the end Luffy said that he was tired and he didn’t look at him either the entire time they were dancing. Sanji only turned off the music device and waited for Luffy to pick Bacon up, but the cat was already sleeping and tried to scratch Luffy when he tried to wake him. Seeing that Bacon was apparently comfortable enough to rest in the couch Luffy left him, though it was strange since the cat always preferred to sleep with them at the bed. If anything Bacon was the reason why Luffy slept with Sanji in the first place, but he wasn’t going to tell him to sleep in the other room that night.

The spare room, which was at some point Luffy’s room, became once again the spare room because Luffy didn’t use it anymore since Mariano’s stay. He had brought all of his clothes and left them at his closet. Sanji had grown so used to Luffy being in his room that he thought it was more like _their_ room and even _their_ house now. He didn’t even a have a problem with changing in the morning in front of him after showering; he was just so used to having him by his side.

They entered the room in silence and changed into their pajamas quietly. When they lay down in the bed, Sanji didn’t even need to ask Luffy to hug him: he came so fast it seemed he had been waiting just like him. It was what Sanji had been waiting the whole day and when Luffy put his arms around him he turned to face him properly. In most nights Sanji slept facing the other side, to his right while Luffy held him. Only when the time called he hugged Luffy back and since Luffy never said he didn’t like it he didn’t try either. However, this time he thought it was only fair for both: he needed this too.

Just like before his action seemed to surprise Luffy and when he tried to turn off the lights he stopped him saying that he wanted to see him. Sanji felt how his face grew hot, but he didn’t try to fight the urge to blush. He let himself just feel that night and hoped that Luffy would see that he meant so much in his world. The only problem was that he didn’t know how to word it or if it was alright to say it. They had never been ones to express their emotions that way so it could be awkward and he just wanted to be with his friend in peace.

Luffy’s cheeks were also tinted in red and Sanji was beginning to suspect that perhaps the temperature was too high that day. It was August so it was really hot outside and they sometimes slept with the windows open, nevertheless they still hugged in the nights. They had fought over it when it was July and the air was scorching and to make it worse they had to be extra careful about the tattoos, but Luffy that had vouched to continue to hug, had won at the end and thus they still held each other even if they sweated.

When some minutes went by Sanji saw Luffy lift his hand and grab his hair. As he had been doing after his haircut, he pulled away the fringe that covered his left eye and stared at him directly. He ran his fingers in Sanji’s forehead and as always commented how pretty he looked like that. Sanji couldn’t deny that he loved when Luffy said those things about him. It was something just between them because Luffy never did that in front of anyone and even when Mariano was at the house he only lifted his hair when they were alone in the room.

Sanji felt drowsy while Luffy played with his hair and caressed his locks gently. He was so relaxed that he after what seemed like a few minutes he didn’t feel pain anymore and completely forgot that this would be the last night he would spend with Luffy next to him, sleeping by his side. He didn’t have space in his mind to process that because now he was feeling how Luffy was touching him and nothing was as important as that in his eyes; whatever might be would come tomorrow, now he was just too happy to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter hurt me so stay tuned!  
> Ps: I don't think I'll be able to post next Sunday, but in the next week on Tuesday 21th I will.   
> Ps2:I can't believe they have been together for four months, which actually means I have been writing for four months lol  
> Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm finally back with a new chapter for this fic!  
> As always I hope you guys like it!

27.

 

Sanji woke up with long limbs surrounding his body. Somehow Luffy had managed to envelop him entirely and even his legs were on top of him; the left one was on top of his right hip and his right leg was close to his other hip too. Luffy’s arms held him tightly with force but it was still gentle. For Sanji’s part he was also holding Luffy firmly, a lot stronger than usual and his hands gripped at the fabric of the captain’s shirt.

He turned his head around and saw in the clock that it was still really early, but Luffy had decided that he wanted to leave before Sanji had to open the restaurant and receive the staff so he called for him. As usual Luffy didn’t wake up with that so he kept calling for him, but he didn’t get a reaction. He shook him gently while calling again and only then Luffy opened his eyes.

Luffy smiled at him, but after a second his grin faltered and he hugged him tighter, which was impossible, but he managed. Sanji responded in the same fashion and waited for Luffy to let go of him. When he did he got up and said that he would begin packing his clothes in his suitcase. Sanji had told him that he should have started yesterday, but Luffy said that he still needed clothes so it made sense to begin that same morning. For Sanji that really wasn’t how things worked, but if Luffy wanted to do it like that then it was okay.

Sanji saw how Luffy threw his clothes in disarray into the suitcase and he wanted to scold him to do it properly, but if everything fitted then it was fine. He went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and cooked bacon, meat and eggs. It was heavy for a breakfast, but Sanji needed to know that Luffy would last at least some hours satisfied with that food. Luffy only knew how to prepare rice and eggs and that worried Sanji, but he had an idea that might help him.

Luffy ate with hurry and the tears that welled up yesterday in his eyes this time did fall. He cleaned them fast with his fist and Sanji didn’t have time to talk about it with him so he only ate. Luffy finished before Sanji and said a loud thanks for the food with even a bow. Sanji wasn’t expecting that at all and it kind of reminded him of when he thanked Zeff all those years back. It filled him with so many emotions he was having trouble keeping tears from falling and he didn’t know what to say. To top it all, he felt a knot forming in his throat so even if he tried speaking he still would have a hard time.

Luffy seemed to notice his reaction and asked worriedly if something was wrong with him, but he only shook his head and said that he had nothing to thank him for. Luffy proceeded to tell him that he had so much to be thankful, but Sanji stopped him because he would seriously cry if he kept on. He opted to eat quickly since they still had to shower and carry the boxes with supplies to the ship.

When he was done he let the dirty dishes unwashed and went to shower. He changed into his suit while Luffy was showering too. From that moment on Luffy didn’t need to shower every day, but he still did and Sanji didn’t know how to feel about that. When both were ready they picked the boxes and the suitcases that Luffy had brought the first day he arrived at the island.

They started their way to the city’s port and not that many people were there yet, something Sanji was really glad of. He wanted to say goodbye to Luffy in private and while he did find it weird that the staff had only said a general goodbye to Luffy and hadn't come to see his departure, he actually preferred it that way. It was selfish, but Sanji wanted to be with him alone for this one last time.

The new ship was right beside the one Franky had built for Sanji and the little people that were in the harbor at that hour didn’t pay them any mind, probably thinking that they would begin a new short trip. They started putting the boxes with the supplies inside the ship and Sanji wanted to unbox the items, but Luffy said that he would do it later. It didn’t take them too long and then they realized that it was time for the last goodbye.

Sanji didn’t know where to start, how to thank Luffy that he had stayed with him only because he was scared of being alone and that he had fixed something broken inside him. He didn’t know how he would thank him for naming his restaurant “Black Leg” or for the many times he accompanied him through the hardships of everyday life. Sanji didn’t know how he could thank him enough for his smiles and for letting him become a part of his life; he just didn’t.

He was at a loss of words, but he remembered something that he had bought for Luffy without him noticing in case he wanted to leave. He went to one of the pantries in the kitchen, opened the door and pulled out a book. It read “twenty basic recipes” and Sanji hoped Luffy would learn a little from them to live well and without risks. Luffy stared at him obviously lost about what he was doing and he handed him the book when he was in front of him again. Luffy read the title and still looked at him puzzled so Sanji clarified his gift.

“It’s a book so you know some recipes and don’t die of starvation,” he said and saw how Luffy smiled at him. For some reason he just couldn’t contain this one thought and added, “But you can always come back to my house if you’re hungry. You’re always welcome there. It’s your house too.”

Luffy smiled widely and it reached his eyes and Sanji thought that he could die a happy man with just seeing it. Luffy brought the book closer to his chest and hugged it.

“Thanks for this, Sanji.” He looked between the book and Sanji and then he got closer to him and said, “I already know, but it makes me really happy. With you I think I found a new place to call home.”

He then hugged him with one hand because with the other he was holding the book. Sanji hugged back almost immediately and had to fight back tears that were seriously threatening to fall because he didn’t want Luffy to think that he was still afraid or scared of being alone; he would just miss him so much.

After a long time, or what was long for a hug, they let go of each other. Luffy put the book down in the table of the kitchen and picked Bacon up to hand him to Sanji. The cat purred when Sanji rubbed his ears and told him that he would miss him a lot. When Sanji wanted to put him in the floor the cat wouldn’t let him go. He held Sanji with his claws in his shirt and Luffy said that it was because he would miss him too much. Sanji understood that, but Bacon was ripping his shirt so he was about to get mad and then Luffy spoke up, shutting him up completely.

“Like I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you a lot too.”

With that Sanji got quiet and the cat finally let him go. Luffy managed to put him in the floor and Sanji knew that he had to answer in some way to what Luffy was saying or he would regret it probably his whole life.

“I’ll miss you a lot, Luffy,” Sanji said and he wanted to tell him so badly that he would die of happiness if he actually stayed, but he knew it wasn’t possible so he remained quiet.

With one last hug, though this time shorter, they said goodbye. Sanji went out of the ship and waited for Luffy to loosen the moorings and steer the ship, something he wasn’t very good at, but that with time had kind of learned.

Sanji saw how Luffy waved him goodbye with a smile and Bacon meowed next to him. He waved back with a smile that he hoped was sincere enough and didn’t show how sad he was feeling. Luffy continued to wave until he had to focus on steering the ship and Sanji remained watching until he couldn’t see them anymore in the horizon. It was like the sun had disappeared from the city and from his life, but he would have to learn how to live with that.

When he really couldn’t see the ship he went back to his house. It was still early and more than an hour was left for the staff to arrive. He would wait for them in the restaurant, but he decided that he wanted, _needed_ , to be alone so he would take the day off. Sanji hoped that Christina wouldn’t care too much and he seriously was thinking of giving her a raise in her paycheck, but right now he could only think about Luffy leaving.

To distract his mind from the pain his heart was feeling he organized some ingredients in the pantries and storage room. Thanks to that time seemed to fly and he only realized of the hour when the cooks were outside waiting for him to open the backdoor of the kitchen. He opened the door and they all put faces like they had seen a ghost, but he didn’t understand why.

Sanji only wanted to leave the place and rest at his house alone so he called for Christina to tell her that he wouldn’t be there that day and that she would be in charge. She accepted easily, but before he left she told him that it would be better if he stayed working instead of being alone.

Those words hurt and it was a good thing that everyone knew or assumed that Luffy had already left because he didn’t find it in himself to explain anyone anything. Still, Sanji just wanted to be _alone_ with his pain so he refused Christina’s idea and went upstairs to try to find comfort in the sheets of his bed. How he would fare from then on was something he would see some other day or later, not now; it hurt too much now.

…………………………………..

Sanji slept for probably four hours and woke up with a headache. Out of custom he stretched his arm to feel Luffy by his side, but he wasn’t there and he wanted to go back to sleep. He felt his heart clenching and it was too awful a sensation, but he also knew that he needed to eat. He got up and started preparing pasta, but made too much for one person and there was actually enough to feed four people, though of course it was one portion for him and the other three for Luffy.

That depressed Sanji a lot, but he just kept the extra portions for his next dinner and the lunch of tomorrow. He sat by himself in his house and if he thought about it, it was actually the first time he had been truly alone since Franky built the restaurant for him. Sanji had been alone in that inn at the city, but then Franky and Robin arrived so he didn’t spend much alone and after them came Luffy who spent fourth months with him. It was probably the absence that made Sanji think of this like that, but Luffy was a great companion and roommate.

Luffy ate everything there was, he collaborated in doing the house’s chores, he offered to cook when he was sad or sick even if he didn’t know how to, his laugh was contagious and his smile lighted the whole place when he was there. It was going to be so difficult to get used to have him away; nothing would be the same for Sanji, but he knew that Luffy wouldn’t want this. Luffy would want for him to live happy with the things he had fought to earn and that would be exactly what he would do.

Even if he said that when he went to the kitchen to wash the dishes from the morning and lunch and didn’t see Bacon’s bowls of food and water he felt sad all over again. Sanji would really try to overcome this sadness, but he really didn’t know when it was going to stop. One thing he did know was that he couldn’t succumb to that feeling, but that it was okay not to feel that great yet.

After Sanji was done washing the dishes he didn’t know what to do. He still didn’t want to go to the restaurant and just like Christina had said it would have been better if he went to work, but he really didn’t feel like cooking for that many people. He needed focus and that was something he was clearly missing so he stayed in the kitchen preparing tea to liven up the afternoon a little.

The warmness of the tea kind of helped him relax and he thought it would be good to listen to music. For some reason the only songs that the music device played were songs about lost loves and yearning for love and he hated hearing the lyrics. It didn’t describe his situation, but he still didn’t like the topic. He turned the device off and went back to his bad mood so he preferred to sleep since he wouldn’t be able to do that again probably in a long time. He didn’t want to sleep in his bed since he would miss Luffy there and stayed at the living room.

He grabbed a blanket and rested in the biggest couch of the house. He also brought the clock to know the hour since the day was too dark to tell without the help of an actual clock. That helped ease his headache, but it was still there so he fell asleep quickly because he didn’t want to use painkillers. He also thought that the couch was better for the pain he was currently feeling: it was a smaller place and he didn’t have fake hopes that Luffy was sleeping right beside him like that.

Sanji didn’t have much trouble falling asleep as he was tired even when he hadn't done anything at all that day. In between his thoughts, before drifting off, he could hear Luffy’s laughter mixed with him asking for meat. He thought he was going crazy, but even his dreams were filled with the captain just laughing or accompanying him when they walked by the riverside.

He would have stayed dreaming about Luffy probably through the whole evening, but he felt a loud knock from the door that led directly to the restaurant. He stood up quickly since no one aside from him and Luffy ever used that door. There was no necessity and he grew worried, but even like that he still felt really sleepy and like coming right out of a good dream so when he opened the door to ask what was going he didn’t expect the impact in his chest.

Something small jumped right at him and he didn’t know what to do. He picked whatever it was that had attacked him and realized that it was Bacon, but that didn’t make any sense because the cat was with Luffy at sea already and he was probably still dreaming. The cat meowed and Sanji didn’t know what to do because he really thought his mind was playing tricks with him, but Bacon looked down and he followed his sight and in the middle was Luffy with an unreadable face.

Sanji knew that he was dreaming and was about to close the door when he saw that Luffy yelled at him to stop and he did, but only because he wanted to see the dream unfold further. He put Bacon down at the floor and not even a second passed by when Luffy threw himself at his arms. He held him firmly and then closed the door to the “restaurant”, because he was still dreaming so this was only in his mind.

“Luffy” looked at him puzzled and then he said, “Were you sleeping? The cooks said that you weren’t working today and I got worried. Are you sick?”

He answered with the truth because this Luffy wasn’t Luffy after all, right?

“I’m not sick, but I didn’t want to work today. I missed Luffy too much,” he said and went to continue to sleep in the couch even if he knew that he was sleeping already.

“What the hell, Sanji? Why do you speak like I’m not here?” Luffy exclaimed loudly, but Sanji only looked at him tiredly.

“Because this is a dream so you aren’t you.” He closed his eyes and heard noises in the kitchen and some meows in there too.

When Sanji was getting out of the dream he felt movement by his side and before he got time to react he felt water in his face and he fully woke up. He opened his eyes and stood up and saw Luffy and this time he knew it wasn’t a dream. If everything from before wasn’t a dream then he had been the most ridiculous man in the whole world, but he was too happy to care.

He didn’t even mind that he was drenched and only asked what he wanted to know the most. “What are you doing here, Luffy?”

“I don’t care about that! Are you okay? You’re acting so weird!”

“I’m okay! I was just sleepy, nothing to worry about! But really what are you doing here?” He asked him again while trying to dry off his face with his sleeves and then he noticed how Luffy grimaced.

“Bacon was missing you too much and we had to come back, but if you don’t want us here…” Luffy stopped looking at him and Sanji felt his heart going crazy. If he understood this well then Luffy missed him as much as he did.

“Of course I want you here! If you want to stay then you can, Luffy!” Sanji said with emotion and he didn’t know what possessed him, but he hugged Luffy before he could say anything.

Luffy hugged him back with ease and he picked Sanji up. Normally, Sanji would scold Luffy for doing that, but this time it was something he needed so he let him. When he put him down on the floor he said the words Sanji had been waiting for days; no, _months_.

“I want to stay with you! I’m gonna stay.”

The smile that Luffy gifted Sanji was enough for make him forget all about the previous pain he was feeling and even the headache he had was gone by like magic. He didn’t know what to do because he wanted to hug Luffy and to serve him food and so many other things that he was lost. However, when Sanji was thinking of where Luffy’s suitcases were he was reminded of what made them separate and the captain go: he had been bored so even if he stayed that wouldn’t change.

Luffy seemed to catch his face and doubts so he asked him if something was wrong like he always did when he wasn’t looking too good.

He needed to be sincere so he said, “I’m glad you want to stay and I want you to stay, but will you be okay here? Won’t you get bored?”

Luffy looked at him like he had grown two heads and said, “Again with that? I’m not bored of being here. I just left because I thought you wanted that.”

“I already said that I wanted you here, but I’m worried you’ll get super bored. The last days you totally were,” Sanji said with a grimace and he noticed the pout Luffy had.

“I was bored because I couldn’t move and we couldn’t even spar. You would be too if you weren’t allowed to walk! You weren’t there with me all the time either so it got more boring like that,” Luffy said and he even had a small blush that Sanji didn’t know how to interpret.

“But still, are you sure that you wa-”

“With you I’m fine! I was just bored because I couldn’t do anything in the times you weren’t with me,” Luffy cut him short and looked at him directly to add, “When I’m with you everything is fun, but we can’t be together all the time so of course if I couldn’t move I would get bored, Sanji.”

Sanji had to admit that he hadn’t really thought about it that way. He had only assumed that Luffy was bored because he was tired of the city, the routine and him. Those were his options so he really hadn't even gotten close to perhaps think that Luffy was bored because of the injury and not of him. Sanji hated to admit it, but his insecurities were so annoying and they could have cost him so much. If Luffy hadn't come back because he was braver they would have parted ways and that was that last Sanji wanted in his life.

At the end everything had been a misunderstanding and Sanji felt so stupid. First, he had driven Luffy away because he thought he was bored of him. Second, he had been depressed over something that could have been avoided if he wasn’t so idiotic. And third, he had thought that Luffy was coming back but in his dreams so he had acted like a clown in front of Luffy and, thinking it well, probably the whole staff had seen him being so absurd.

Sanji was lost in thoughts when Luffy called his attention. He was asking him if he was fine with him staying and he didn’t have any incertitude now so he said the words he had been waiting to tell Luffy for months too.

“Of course I am fine with you here, Luffy. There’s probably nothing that would make me happier than you staying.”

The last part was something he hadn’t really thought he would say and his heart beat madly when Luffy smiled so widely at him. He couldn’t deny it though: in this moment there was nothing that would make him happier. Even if a blush rushed to his face and the beating of his heart was making it hard for him to think, Sanji grinned back to Luffy.

He didn’t know what was happening, but for some reason a hug wasn’t enough. It was like they needed something else, something different or new to demonstrate that they were there, happy and together. They were getting closer to do something Sanji didn’t understand or know, but when he thought that his heart would explode, a knock sounded on the door that led to the restaurant and whatever it was they would do, didn’t happen at the end.

Sanji was disappointed and he could tell that Luffy was the same as him, but he had responsibilities so he went to the door and opened it. He saw that it was Christina and she asked if everything was alright with them, and he answered that things were perfect, but that they wanted to be alone. She looked at them and then gave them a huge smile and thumbs up and went down.

Sanji didn’t want to deal with the staff at all for the moment since it was obvious they would make fun of him for being so utterly ridiculous. Now he only wanted to be with Luffy so he told him that he would give him food after picking the boxes with supplies and his suitcases. When he said that Luffy smiled again and he was so happy that when they were getting out of the house he was so distracted he stepped on Bacon’s left paw.

The cat yelped and jumped and Sanji felt like trash for doing that. Luffy picked Bacon up and Sanji apologized by rubbing behind his ears like he usually liked. After a while the cat seemed to be over the pain and they continued with their short walk to the port where Luffy’s stuff was.

On the way Sanji asked Luffy if he had eaten everything from the ship and he shook his head with a smile.

“No, I didn’t! I only prepared rice with _meat_!” Luffy exclaimed so happily that Sanji felt like melting.

Sanji was also so proud of Luffy because preparing meat wasn’t something that the captain actually knew how to do.

“Did you use the book?” He simply had to ask. Luffy reading cooking books was something that drove Sanji crazy and he couldn’t lie about it.

“Yeah! It was very helpful, but now that I’m back maybe instead of the book it could be you that teaches me?” Luffy said with the same blush that seemed to adorn his face as of lately.

For his part, Sanji was quite surprised as that was the first time Luffy had ever asked him or mentioned that he wanted to learn how to cook. Above the surprise, of course there was a feeling of happiness and even blissfulness. To teach cooking hadn't been in his plans, but if it was with Luffy then it was alright; no, it was good, actually.

He smiled at Luffy and said, “Yeah, sure. If you want we can practice on Mondays and before I get to work.”

“Yeah, I would love to!” Luffy said jumping to hug him and Sanji felt like hugging him back even if they were outside the house and some people were watching them. Maybe tomorrow or the next week he could care; today he was feeling too happy.

That way the sun that seemed to have left the city and island that morning, came back in full force to Sanji’s life. It was currently going down and in a few hours it would set, but that didn’t matter to Sanji since he was with a source of light and warmth far stronger than any star in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted like usual on Sunday!  
> Thanks for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji teaches cooking to Luffy and things don't go that well (at first).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic and I must admit that I'm tired because uni gets in the way so it's kinda hard to write sometimes.   
> Still, I love this fic so I'll continue, though if by chance a chapter isn't posted on Sunday as always it'll be posted at max. on Wednesday!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

28.

 

That Tuesday Sanji and Luffy were practicing cooking in his house before he had to receive the staff. They had started the cooking lessons last Saturday right after Luffy had come back with Bacon to Sanji’s house. As Luffy had said he wanted to learn how to cook from Sanji and not from a book, he had accepted and every day in the morning they had practiced, plus on Monday that was Sanji’s free day.

Sanji couldn’t lie about this, but Luffy had no real talent. He had a tough time chopping vegetables, he forgot about the things he left cooking in pans or the oven, somehow some preparations ended looking eerily green and he sometimes wanted to eat meat raw, which of course he didn’t allow him. What was worse was that he actually did have a talent though, but one that didn’t benefit Sanji at all. Luffy was surprisingly good to make everything explode.

At the end they always had to clean the kitchen and Sanji’s suits were getting ruined thanks to that. Luffy felt guilty and sad that he sucked so badly, but unlike past times Sanji wasn’t mad and while he did scold him sometimes he still wasn’t angry. The sensation of happiness because Luffy had come back hadn’t worn off yet so he always told Luffy to calm down because he would learn with time. Luffy always responded with a smile and that left Sanji wanting to teach him preferably the whole day.

As of today, the things that Luffy knew how to cook were rice, eggs, some simple pieces of meat and pasta. Anything above those basics was too difficult for Luffy, but Sanji would be patient with him and if he took some time it was okay. Since Luffy was never one to give up even if he felt sad he still practiced a lot and asked to learn more when he saw that Sanji wasn’t so busy.

The main problem still was that Sanji would end without suits if their lessons continued because he already had to change into another fit of clothes for that day when it was only 10 in the morning. Luffy’s clothes were also a mess, but he said that he didn’t care and for some strange reason the one that took most damage was Sanji. It was like everything Luffy prepared was meant to end in his face and clothes.

While they cleaned the kitchen after another failed attempt, Sanji wondered about how he was in such a good mood that he didn’t even mind that Luffy dirtied everything and even wasted some ingredients. To have Luffy so close when he asked him questions or when he watched him with attention was something that Sanji really liked. It was like the hours he had been away had to be recuperated and this was the perfect opportunity for it.

After they were done cleaning it was already eleven o’ clock and the staff had already arrived. Sanji received them and they still had the same face from Saturday: an obvious containing laughter face. They had laughed loudly about Sanji thinking that Luffy was an apparition in his dreams and it had gotten to the point where he had to threaten John and Elijah with firing them continuous times. He understood that he had been stupid, but he was still their boss so when he thought that it was enough of them making fun of him he told them to shut up.

Luffy for his part had laughed with them at first, but when he noticed that he was mad he said that he would kick everyone’s ass if they continued to be annoying with him. Sanji was thankful for that because the staff really did respect Luffy, sometimes even more than him that was the boss, but he certainly didn’t care. Luffy was a great presence to have around and his pride wasn’t hurt by it; Luffy was more used to command anyway.

Sanji scowled and the staff had to behave. They entered the restaurant and in short time costumers arrived so the service began. Ever since Luffy came back and said that he wanted to learn how to cook, he spent most of his time observing the cooks and mainly Sanji prepare things for the restaurant. As long as Luffy didn’t eat food without permission it was more than fine for Sanji so he let him stay until he couldn’t contain his hunger.

Luffy took in everything the cooks made and seemed really interested in actually learning instead of only consuming like most of the time. That made Sanji incredibly happy and whenever he saw Luffy trying, he felt something inside him melt. Still, that didn’t mean that Luffy didn’t cause trouble as he was prone to do that. For example, now he was fighting with Mariano over a preparation that according to him should have meat even when the order said that it was vegetarian.

Mariano tried to explain to Luffy that some people didn’t eat meat and for him that was an insult. In Luffy’s mind there was simply no way that someone didn’t like meat and from how he spoke Sanji was sure that he would try something stupid. Sanji saw how Luffy, after proclaiming that he had to save that person of their “stupidity”, picked meat and was about to throw it to the pot of what Mariano was preparing. Mariano took away the pot from Luffy’s grasp and Luffy tried putting the meat inside so they struggled with the pot. Sanji went to help Mariano against Luffy’s clear idiocy and that was when the disaster happened.

Mariano and Luffy fought over applying force and of course in a contest of strength Luffy won, but that didn’t mean that it was with no accident though. Sanji that was in the proximity received the contents of the pot that had ended in Luffy’s hands with force, making it spill over to where he was.

Sanji stayed quiet not knowing what to do. Luffy had behaved so well the past days that he didn’t know how to act. This time it had been clearly his fault that he had ended dirty with food again. Luffy really did have a talent to dirty him or something because his suit was ruined once again. He couldn’t blame Mariano that looked guilty and scared and even Luffy looked afraid; at least he knew that he had screwed.

………………………………………

After Sanji went to change clothes for the third time that day, he decided that Luffy wasn’t allowed close to a kitchen for a week. Luffy didn’t like his punishment, but for Sanji it was something he deserved. Luffy, being persistent as always, said that he wouldn’t do something like that ever again and that he would allow people to only eat vegetables since that meant more meat for him. For Sanji that wasn’t a good solution, but then Luffy promised that he would make it up for him.

Luffy tried to think about things he would like to have and then, like an epiphany, he determined that he needed this one thing the most. He looked overexcited and told Sanji all about his idea.

“Let’s go buy you a pretty cook uniform! You won’t get your suits ruined anymore and you’ll look super cute too!” Luffy exclaimed happily and it was like he didn’t notice that he had called Sanji cute.

On the other hand Sanji did notice the use of the word and he felt blushing. It was a good thing that they were currently at his house and not in the restaurant because knowing the cooks they would have made fun of him already. Also, Sanji didn’t know what to say to Luffy’s proposal because he had grown really used to wearing suits when cooking that now he didn’t think he would be able to just wear something else.

When he was past the shock of Luffy calling him cute, he informed him of his doubts. “I don’t know, Luffy. I don’t think it’s that necessary after all.”

“Nah, it seriously is! Think about it: your suits won’t be thrown in the trash bin, you’ll look pretty as hell and _I’ll_ be paying,” Luffy said and he had a winning smile, obviously to convince him sooner.

Sanji felt his face hot again, but he was more focused on the fact that Luffy had said that he would pay, which was really unbelievable and not possible in his mind. Did Luffy even have enough money for that? He didn’t want him selling his treasures again just for him so he told him that.

“And how are you gonna pay? I’m pretty sure you’re penniless and I don’t want you selling stuff either,” Sanji said with a scowl because he only wanted for Luffy to keep his precious things with him.

“Oh, since when do you have such a bad memory?” Luffy said with mirth and then added, “I still have all the money you gave me for the trip. I lasted four hours at sea so there’s tons of it.”

Luffy still had a huge smile, but Sanji really didn’t want him spending money on him so he said, “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I want you to keep that money to buy the things you want.”

“You’re always buying things for me _and_ Bacon. You take care of us all the time so now it’s on me.” He looked determined and then seemed to think something over and said, “Even if you don’t want me to I’ll still buy you a uniform. What are your measures, though? I’ll need those.”

It was strange, but the moment Luffy said that, Sanji felt incredibly embarrassed. It wasn’t like Luffy hadn't touched him before and they hugged all the time so it made no sense that he was so abashed of him just measuring him. It was something in thinking that Luffy would have his hands all over him that made him feel shy, but he didn’t understand too much the reason and he didn’t want to tell him about that so he decided that perhaps one uniform wouldn’t be too bad if it meant that the captain wouldn’t be the one measuring him.

With that as his secret reason Sanji accepted Luffy’s proposal and both went to the downtown after asking Mariano where would be a good place to buy and putting Christina in charge. They left Bacon behind since the cat was sleeping peacefully and it didn’t take them too long to find the shop that Mariano had indicated.

It was a pretty big store that had uniforms of all types in the showcases. They entered the place while looking at the mannequins and Luffy commented that he could already picture Sanji with some of the uniforms he saw. Sanji felt shy all of sudden and preferred to focus on the prices of the uniforms instead. Luckily, they weren’t that expensive and they were affordable for Luffy so he didn’t have to worry that much.

When they were in the middle of the shop a man appeared and asked them what they were searching. Luffy answered that they needed to buy cook uniforms for Sanji and then it seemed it clicked on the seller’s mind who they were. The man started asking Sanji if he wanted to make a deal with the company for uniforms for the whole staff, but he didn’t know if that was a good idea and first he had to actually try one himself, so he only said that he was looking uniforms for him alone.

The seller looked disappointed, but still showed Sanji and Luffy the cook uniforms the store had. Most of them were white, but they had some other colors as adorns. As always he liked the blue or black themed ones and he asked the man to show him those. The seller asked Sanji for his measures and he told them his size of clothes. While the man looked for uniforms that fitted those descriptions, Luffy got closer to Sanji and smiled at him for some reason.

Sanji lifted an eyebrow, asking Luffy what he meant with that and Luffy said, “You will look so cute with all those uniforms. Choose whichever and how many you want.”

Sanji felt his heart drumming inside him and he didn’t know what to say. Sometimes Luffy liked to call him those adjectives he didn’t really think represented him, but it would be a lie if he said he didn’t like them. For every compliment that Luffy said regarding his beauty, prettiness, cuteness, good looks or handsomeness, Sanji felt two special things. One, his heart frequency went up to a point he seriously thought wasn’t normal. Second, it was a sensation like his soul was filled with each word, so both feelings were unique and he didn’t feel that bothered by them either.

Seemingly lost in their world, the man called for their attention once he had the uniforms that Sanji had liked in the right size. He handed them to Sanji and he went to try them so he left Luffy alone. There were six uniforms in total and all of them actually fitted Sanji so he didn’t know which one to choose as he had said that he would pick only one. He decided that the one with blue and black interlaced brims was the best and went out to buy it.

Luffy looked at him like he had betrayed him and Sanji asked him what his problem was because he really didn’t understand.

“You tried the uniforms, but you didn’t call me to see how they looked on you! I wanted to see them on you so badly,” Luffy said with a pout and Sanji felt so embarrassed.

Sanji saw that the salesman was close to them obviously listening to their conversation and that made him feel even more embarrassed of the situation. Why did Luffy want to see him with the uniforms so badly anyway? He could totally see him when he was at the restaurant after all.

“There’s no real reason for that and I already chose one that I like. You can see it when I work,” Sanji said after regaining some composure.

“What? You chose _one_? I told you that you had to choose all of them!” Luffy exclaimed like he had betrayed him again and Sanji really wasn’t up for any of this.

“No, you only said to choose whichever and how many I wanted, not all of them, so I chose just this one.”

Luffy really didn’t like his option apparently and they began arguing about the legal vacuum of Luffy’s proposal in the middle of the shop while the other buyers looked at them as if they were the biggest attraction of the place. Of course the salesman saw this as an opportunity to make Sanji buy more uniforms and took Luffy’s side and started giving the “great” details the uniforms had in comparison to normal clothes and other cook uniforms.

Luffy took advantage of that too and repeated the characteristics of the uniforms after the seller, something that was driving Sanji mad. He got so annoyed that at the end he said that he didn’t want anything and left the shop completely angry. He heard how Luffy called for him from inside the store, but at the moment he was too annoyed to come back so he went to the restaurant to resume his activities as the boss.

Sanji arrived at the restaurant when it was still in the rush hour and the staff had surprised faces like they weren’t expecting for him that early. He didn’t care and started cooking to distract his mind from the angriness he was feeling. He didn’t know why he was mad though since it wasn’t like Luffy was doing something bad for him either. Maybe it was the fact that everyone was looking at them as if they were clowns, but while he cooked Sanji realized that he had probably blown things out of proportion.

The more time passed, the more he regretted leaving Luffy behind. While he prepared some orders he was really pondering if to go and apologize to Luffy or staying in the kitchen and just cook something that he would like. The second option was better since Sanji had responsibilities at the restaurant and couldn’t leave Christina all the time in charge, especially considering that he still needed to raise her paycheck.

One hour and a half went by and there was still no sign of Luffy so Sanji was sure he was mad too, though he had every right to be. It was the first fight they had ever since Luffy had come back and that sucked, but human relationships were like that and even in the ship they sometimes argued. However, even if Sanji thought about how fights were normal between friends, he still felt sad, like his heart was being crushed.

When rush hour was finally over and the orders were considerably less, Sanji began preparing barbeque for Luffy because he thought it would be a good way to apologize for being an ass to him. The cooks asked him why he was using so much meat if no one had ordered that and Sanji felt rather embarrassed to say that it was actually for Luffy, but he ended telling them exactly that.

Sanji noticed how the cooks had this gleam in their eyes like he had told them something interesting or even funny, but he was a lot more worried about Luffy to actually care. If the captain didn’t arrive in fifteen minutes Sanji would go to look for him when the meat was prepared. Since it was never good to rush the cooking of meat, Sanji took some time until he could leave to search for Luffy.

Even if he had said that he couldn’t leave because of his job, Sanji was so worried about Luffy that he still went out and left poor Christina on charge. He really needed to pay her much more than what she was already earning, but that was a thought for another day, now he needed to find Luffy and be done with whatever fight they had; he couldn’t live thinking that he was mad at him.

He prepared a basket with the barbeque and Sanji hoped that he would be able to find Luffy soon or the food would get cold. He had two ideas of where he could be: the forests or the riverside. He seriously hoped he was at the riverside because he had never actually gone to the forest of the city even if he had been for about four months there already. He made a mental note to visit the forest with Luffy in one of his free days.

Sanji opted to go to the riverside since he knew the place fairly well, with hurry so the food was still warm when he found Luffy. He went to the side of the river that he knew Luffy liked the most, which was the left one, and started walking trying to see if he was around there. He walked for about twenty minutes without finding him and he was about to go to the forest when he heard a loud yell from the bridge.

“I’m here! Come already!”

Sanji turned around to see that Luffy was calling for him. He knew that voice and those kinds of commands too well to really need to identify who was in the bridge anyway. Still, he was rather glad that he could find Luffy and that he seemed to be in a good mood. He went to where he was seated on top of the rails of the bridge with his legs kicking the air in a playful way. When he was by Luffy’s side he sat next to him with a small smile.

It wasn’t the first time they had fought, but Sanji always felt restless when that happened for some reason. Arguing wasn’t something controllable and ever since Luffy arrived at the island their fights were somehow deeper unlike the ones where Sanji only scolded Luffy for eating food back at the Sunny. They were more personal and he didn’t like that, but they were normal and even if he felt hurt it was never an everlasting sensation, so he understood that it was okay as long as they knew how to overcome them.

Despite feeling anxious, Sanji handed the basket to Luffy and he opened the lid with a smile. When Luffy saw the contents of the basket he smiled much wider and in Sanji’s stomach there were too many butterflies for his liking. Luffy took out the bento Sanji had prepared for him with the barbeque and didn’t wait to begin eating. He tasted everything and between munching and gulping the food down his throat he commented that he loved what Sanji had cooked.

When he was done after a few minutes, Luffy took a handkerchief and cleaned his mouth with it. He thanked Sanji and then grabbed two packages he hadn't seen when he arrived. Luffy handed them to Sanji with a grin and told him to open them. Sanji was intelligent enough to know what was inside the envelopes, but he still opened them.

Inside the packages were cook uniforms as he had suspected, but when he counted them he noticed that instead of six uniforms there were actually seven. He felt like scolding Luffy, but he knew that it wasn’t a good solution and would end the same way that in the morning. Sanji preferred to inspect the uniforms and he had to admit that they were all pretty and he liked them a lot. However, on closer inspection he saw that his name was written on the pockets of the shirts of each uniform. That surprised him, but what warmed Sanji’s heart the most was that above the actual name it read “Cook of the Straw hats”.

He was at a loss of words since he didn’t know what to tell Luffy or if to thank him. He opted for the latter since it was the least he could do.

“Thank you for this. The uniforms are really beautiful so thanks a lot,” he said with a smile and he knew that he had to actually apologize, but Luffy cut him short.

“Nah, it’s just what you deserve so no need to thank me,” Luffy said with a grin.

Sanji still thought that he needed to apologize for having such a short temper when Luffy only wanted to help him so he said, “Also, I’m really sorry I reacted like that at the shop. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Don’t worry so much! I was mad too, but I wasn’t worried either. I only stayed behind so they could write your name on the uniforms and ’cause I got a little angry myself. I wanted to cool down my head too,” Luffy said while looking at him with something in his eyes, making them special for Sanji.

Sanji still thought that he needed to apologize more than what he had already and said, “It’s no good that I’m always getting angry so I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care about that actually. I mean, yeah, we get angry and don’t say the nicest things, but I think our friendship is much stronger than whatever fight we can have, right?” Luffy kicked his legs in the air and Sanji felt so good.

The sun emitted yellow and oranges colors on everything, but Sanji was only focused on how they highlighted Luffy’s face and his smile. Once again that same sensation that a simple hug wasn’t enough to demonstrate their feelings was in the air from both of them. Sanji started getting closer to Luffy and he noticed that he was doing the same. He didn’t know what would happen when they were close enough, but he certainly didn’t care so he continued and when he was face to face with Luffy he felt something push his back and he fell from the bridge immediately.

Sanji fell into the water and he was so mad. The only good thing was that the uniforms were thankfully dry since they had been in the bridge. When he went out of the water he splattered the water he had in his clothes and hair to the ground. He didn’t know who was the bastard that had pushed him, but if there was something Sanji was good at was actually kicking, so he looked up to the bridge and saw Luffy arguing with an old man that had a cow.

He was lost, but then he noticed that the man looked apologetic and signalized to the cow that was next to him. From what he could understand the old man said that the cow had pushed him by casualty and wasn’t trying anything with them. Sanji went up the bridge to ask for explanations since he was really mad, but the man said that he would gift them milk from the cow every day in hopes that they could forgive him. When Luffy seemed to notice Sanji’s presence by his side he asked him if he thought that was alright and for much anger that he felt at the end free milk was a good thing so he accepted the apology easily.

The old man bowed his head and made the cow do the same with his hand. When the problem was fixed they went back to the restaurant after bidding farewell to Mister Angelino, as the old man had introduced himself. Luffy carried the uniforms since Sanji was still too wet. Luffy had a huge smile on his face while he sang that they had free milk and Sanji tried to walk without getting his shoes dirty. He was uncomfortable, but he was too distracted on understanding what exactly it was they had been about to do.

They went up immediately after arriving at the house and Sanji showered and had to change his suit for the fourth time that day. Before he got to put on another suit he decided to try the other extra uniform Luffy had bought for him. It was really pretty and it was kind of different to the others. It had more navy blue parts as in the sides of the shirt it was colored with it. The brims of the sleeves had the same motives and he really liked it so he went to show it to Luffy to ask for his opinion.

He went to the living room where Luffy was seated petting Bacon and he called for him so he had his attention. Sanji wasn’t expecting that reaction, but Luffy went silent and his mouth was open. Did he look too bad in his eyes? He grew embarrassed and sad that Luffy hadn't liked how he looked, but Luffy stopped him from leaving.

He stood up from the couch with the same expression and said, “You look amazing. I was right about this.”

Sanji liked what he said and felt a blush creep up his face. Just to make sure he said, “Are you sure? You like it?”

“Of course I do! You look so cute!” As always Luffy exclaimed loudly and Sanji felt shyer. Then he saw that Luffy took out something from one of the envelopes and gave it to him. “Try this hat. It’s gonna look great on you.”

Sanji observed the cook hat and it was mostly white with navy blue edges. It was medium sized and he tried it. It fitted him well, but Sanji had to admit that he had never been too fond of them. Nevertheless, if Luffy bought it for him then it was more than alright so he asked Luffy again what he thought of his look.

“Even cuter! I can’t believe you never wore them before. I hope you wear it at the restaurant from now on.”

Sanji smiled at Luffy, but when he said the word “restaurant” he was instantly reminded that he actually had a job; he owned the place and was the boss so he couldn’t leave for the whole day just because he had fought with Luffy. It was like with that information he woke up from a dream and told Luffy that he had to work. He was going down the stairs that led to the restaurant when he recalled that he had to thank Luffy.

Sanji didn’t know what got into his mind at the moment, but he went up and leaned down to give a little peck in the cheek to Luffy. The captain blushed and he had a similar reaction, but he was too absorbed in actually cooking at the restaurant for what remained that day. Later he would reflect on what he had done, but now he had responsibilities to meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also and so I don't forget it myself! Next chapter is kind of like the real start of the end so stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Luffy go to a fair, but things don't go too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter! I'm sorry for posting late, but I was busy yesterday!  
> As I said these chapters are the beginning of the end and I'm currently writing the last two chapters, though those will be posted some time later.  
> Thanks for reading!

29.

They didn’t comment about the peck that Sanji gave to Luffy not even once and he was happy because that made things easier for him. Sanji didn’t know or understand what had gotten into him that afternoon that he kissed Luffy’s cheek like that. It was like his mind had a short circuit and in the stress of getting to work the idea of kissing Luffy was fine. Of course when he finally processed exactly what he had done he had felt embarrassed to no ends, but Luffy hadn’t said anything either so that meant he didn’t find it that awkward, or that was what Sanji hoped.

In any case Luffy was more interested in a new fair that was coming to the city. The last fair had left some months ago and he said he wanted to see one again. Luffy had been really excited about it and even had bought new clothes for it while Sanji worked. They were going after Sanji closed the restaurant the Sunday so Luffy waited all day by the riverside with Bacon.

When Luffy came back he started bugging Sanji to close the restaurant already, but of course he didn’t pay attention to that and stopped the service at the right hour. He still had to admit that he was curious about the clothes Luffy had bought though, so he rushed the staff back to their homes quickly. While Luffy got ready for the fair and changed into his new clothes, Sanji waited petting Bacon. Normally it would be him the one that prepared for the upcoming fair in hopes to find pretty women, but lately the idea hadn't been too appealing for Sanji. Maybe he was tired or something, but he didn’t feel like it was a necessity anymore.

One thought did stick in Sanji’s mind though. If Luffy had bought clothes and was preparing to go, did that mean that _he_ was in the search of someone? Did that mean that he wanted to look good for someone? Well, if that was true then Sanji just had to let him be, but for some reason he didn’t like it too much. Since he was feeling too blue for not a good cause he opted to think that they would have a good time together not matter what. If Luffy found someone he liked then that was probably alright.

Luffy was taking more than usual and Sanji was about to call him when he appeared with a smile in the living room. He asked something to Sanji, but he wasn’t listening; it was like that sense had vanished from his body. He was only focused on what his sight showed him: Luffy looking…great. He was wearing some black shorts and his usual sandals, but what was the most distinct from his look was the sweater. It was blue with green and it was buttoned up to the chest, after that it was let loose and it was like a tease to his muscles that were hidden under the shirt. As always he had his hat and he looked so pretty in Sanji’s eyes.

He saw that Luffy snapped his fingers to call his attention and only then it was like he woke up from daydreaming. This time Sanji was able to hear what he was saying properly.

“How do I look?” He asked with a small blush and Sanji was lost. Why would he even ask that when he looked amazing and there was no doubt of it?

Sanji understood that he had to answer or Luffy would take it as if he didn’t like how he looked, but he was having trouble finding the right words for it. “You look really…handsome.”

Luffy’s blush increased in depth and Sanji felt like blushing too. It was probably the first time he told him that word or that had actually thought it. No, it was probably the first time he processed it that way; before he had felt it and known it, now he _comprehended_. They stayed in silence and Sanji didn’t know what to do to break the ice. The situation had turned awkward out of nowhere and he didn’t like that as he only wanted to have a good time with Luffy.

Sanji began going out of the house and Luffy followed him. He closed the door once they were outside and started walking to the fair. Suddenly Luffy coughed a little and Sanji turned his head to see what he wanted. He could see that he had a rather nervous or shy expression so he asked him if he had a problem.

Luffy shook his head and said, “I just wanted to know if I look as great as you when you put on your uniforms?”

Sanji felt like almost trembling because no, he didn’t look as great as him, he looked so much better that there was no comparison. Just like when he had given Luffy that peck, something got in his head and he practically shouted, “Don’t even think like that! You are much handsomer than I’ll ever be!”

Luffy smiled at him and said, “Nah, you are really pretty, but I just wanted to know if I was keeping up.”

Both laughed and with a feisty feeling in the air they went to the fair. When they were arriving to the downtown it clicked on them that they had forgotten to bring Bacon. Luffy was about to go back, but Sanji told him that he had fed him so the cat was alright. To top it all, when Bacon actually wanted something he insisted a lot so that meant that he hadn't wanted to come. With that Sanji was able to calm Luffy and they went to the point where they would meet up with their friends Tea and Roque.

They were already waiting for them and Roque asked them what had taken them so long. Luffy said that it had been his fault since he had changed into his new clothes. Sanji knew that there was more to that, but how would he explain that he had stayed staring at Luffy? It sounded too compromising, weird and personal in his opinion so he kept quiet even when the couple looked at them with a strange expression as if not fully believing what Luffy said.

They started walking around the fair and it didn’t take a minute for Luffy to ask for food. He was still using the money that Mariano had given them (though he didn’t know that) and bought meat, tokoyaki, dango and so much stuff that Sanji lost count of it after thirty minutes. He wasn’t hungry yet and only accompanied Luffy when he ate. He noticed that Luffy was drinking a lot of alcohol too since the fair was actually oriented about different types of alcoholic drinks. He wasn’t worried though because Luffy had good tolerance so he let him drink.

After an hour or so Sanji with Roque and Tea ate some sandwiches and he was regretting allowing Luffy to drink that much. From what he could see he was rather drunk and it made sense because for everything he ate, he also drank with it. When Sanji thought that it was enough because he really didn’t want to deal with a wasted Luffy, he told him that he could only eat and more alcohol was forbidden.

Unlike most times Luffy actually listened to Sanji, but the damage was done already and the way his laughter sounded more jocose was proof of it. He made fun of some people and they started fighting with him, but he didn’t pay attention to them and hid behind Sanji. Since he was with a clear mind he apologized to the group and they accepted, but only after he offered them to eat for free at the restaurant.

Sanji scolded Luffy for that and was really thinking on going back to the house, but Luffy said he would behave and that he had been waiting for this fair for a long time. He took pity of him and decided to stay under the condition that Luffy would port himself correctly from then on. Luffy nodded profusely and promised that he was going to be the best captain he ever had. That certainly didn’t make any sense, but he let him be and told him to be by his side.

Luffy was swaying too much in his steps and grabbed Sanji to find support. He took his arm and hooked his arm in his and with that he began walking like a normal person. He still laughed about everything and nothing at the same time and Sanji said a silent sorry to their friends because they surely hadn't come to see Luffy drunk. They were such cool people that they said that it was quite interesting and that they didn’t mind.

With holding Sanji’s arm Luffy seemed to get more sober and only had a small smile after a while. He still commented how some things looked weird, awesome and pretty as if lost in thought or in another place the rest couldn’t reach. Sanji preferred that so he accompanied him in his wonders about life, the lights in the fair, the decoration in some stands of food, and laughed alongside him when he said something funny.

Suddenly, Luffy looked at him and stopped walking so Sanji had to stop as well with Tea and Roque. He didn’t know what he wanted or what he was doing so he was about to ask him when Luffy put a hand to shush him. Sanji looked at Tea and Roque, but they only shrugged.

Luffy made Sanji pay attention back to him and said with mirth, “But do you know what the most beautiful thing in the world is? You!”

Sanji didn’t have time to react because just as fast as he said that Luffy threw himself to his arms. He held Luffy firmly in case he lost balance and heard how the couple laughed loudly of the show the captain was making. His hold on Luffy became a hug from Luffy’s part and now Sanji was finally able to blush because they never showed affection like that in front of people. What was worst was that at least a quarter of the city’s population was at the fair so he knew that everyone would see them hugging.

Since he still didn’t want him falling he held him even when Luffy commented endlessly about his “unparalleled” beauty. Sanji really didn’t know what had gotten into the captain, but he was feeling rather uncomfortable. Luffy vociferated about how good looking he was and how he had never seen a man like that. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to run back to his house, but he had to be a good friend and support Luffy in this really bad moment.

He had to halt Luffy in some way and called for him, but couldn’t finish because Luffy closed his eyes and let his head fall in his neck, making him only say “Lu” instead. Sanji grew worried of Luffy’s silence and Tea tried to help him when he “woke up” and his head emerged. He had a strange expression and Sanji asked again what was wrong, but he had a scowl and that commanding look he used when he took the role as captain fully.

“Call me that again!”

“What? What do you want me to call you? I haven’t said anything,” he said completely confused and looked at Roque that shook his head with a smile.

“‘Lu’! Call me that again! I like how it sounds so call me that from now on!” The slur in Luffy’s speech made it more than obvious that he was totally drunk, but there was something that sounded so real in his request that Sanji didn’t know what to do.

At the end Sanji thought that it was better to let Luffy rest and apologized to the couple. They understood and asked him if he needed help, but he refused since he wanted them to have a good time despite Luffy creating a mess. Hopefully another day they could enjoy of a nice outing with a sober Luffy, but for now that wasn’t a feasible option and they had to go.

On their way back to the house Luffy seemed to be sober in some aspects, but in others not so much. He didn’t sway as much as before while Sanji held him, but he still said awkward stuff. He lost count of how many times he said that he was truly beautiful and that he couldn’t feel happier than next to him. He also commented that he was so lucky he was his cook because he really didn’t think he would have been able to live for that long and then started thanking him for being such a great guy and person. Luffy related how he admired his kindness and that he was so glad he was living with him that he didn’t have words to describe it. He even invented a word to name the situation that was obviously the effect of the alcohol speaking because “balalale” wasn’t a word for all Sanji knew.

When Luffy said that he felt “balalale” being with him, Sanji had to contain a laugh because he was being hilarious saying so many absurd things. However, he was reminded of what old people said of drunkards: they always said the truth, so perhaps, Luffy really liked being with him and felt “balalale” when he was around him.  He couldn’t focus on that too much though, because Luffy began again with his other favorite topic of that night.

“Call me ‘Lu’, okay? I love how it sounded,” he said with a smile and Sanji could see that he was getting more sober.

He still didn’t call him that even when Luffy insisted on it. There was something too personal in calling Luffy that. He was fine calling him captain, by his name and probably other things, but “Lu” that was an abbreviation of his actual name felt incredibly private, like uniting them even closer. Since Luffy wasn’t in a good state he kept asking him to call him by that nickname and at the end he gave in because he was just so weak with him.

“Lu…Lu,” Sanji stuttered and said it twice and then Luffy looked at him fully, making them stop from walking.

He felt very shy under Luffy’s intense stare and he saw how smiled and said, “I’ll think of a name for you too, but when my head is here.”

Luffy laughed boisterously and Sanji had a similar reaction. As they were closer to the house he made Luffy walk faster so he could rest and get sober completely since he obviously needed it. The captain was definitely getting better and the pace of their walk was faster without having to stop for Luffy and his antics. At some point he even shut up and Sanji felt calmer and more at peace.

When they were arriving at the building of the house they heard some noises coming from there and they ran to see what was happening. The noises were dogs barking and a cat –probably Bacon- meowing. When they were past the trees that hid the backyard from the street they saw Bacon fighting against three big dogs and he was visibly losing. In less than a second Luffy sobered up and went to Bacon’s side. He didn’t waste any time and used haki and the dogs were knocked out instantly.

Sanji went to the cat’s side and assessed the wounds he had. Sadly, he was noticeably hurt and had bites and scratches bleeding over the skin that the fur covered. He told Luffy that they needed to get Bacon to the vet right now and he looked at the cat with sadness. It was like the alcohol had evaporated from his blood and he was fine again, but Sanji would have preferred if it was for another cause.

He took out his vest and moved Bacon a little to get him on top of the clothes. Then he picked the vest up carefully and started running with Luffy to find a vet in the middle of the night. They knew that the vet that usually saw Bacon didn’t have an emergency service so they would have to search for a vet hurriedly.

Luffy checked every twenty seconds Bacon’s condition and the cat wasn’t really responding much to his calls. They couldn’t run too fast since they could hurt Bacon further, but they still went rapidly to the downtown and Luffy asked in a bar for vets. The people waiting outside the bar indicated that there was a vet in about four streets to the left and they went to the place after thanking them.

They ran again and arrived in a short time to a vet that was open. They went inside and Luffy called for help immediately upon entering. A lady stood up from behind a counter and saw Bacon in Sanji’s arms and called for the doctor. In no time a man appeared from inside a room and asked what was going on, but no one had to explain as he saw the cat and went to check on him.

The vet made Sanji and Luffy go inside the room from where he had emerged and told them to lay the cat in a tall metal stretcher. He asked them what had happened with Bacon and Luffy related him that some dogs were biting him. He examined Bacon while they waited for him to have a diagnosis and tell them how the cat was. The doctor moved his hands to touch Bacon and see where he was hurt in a similar way to what Sanji had seen Chopper do when they were together.

Not long took and the doctor finally introduced himself. Sanji was so worried about Bacon that with luck the name Finn registered in his mind. The vet called for a nurse in the service and another man came. He told him that they would run exams on the cat and Sanji saw how Luffy almost jumped at the idea. The vet calmed him and told him that it was necessary to know in what state Bacon really was.

This time the vet told them to wait outside while the two men ran the tests on Bacon and that it would take some while. Luffy didn’t want to leave Bacon alone, but Sanji convinced him that the vet needed to do his job completely focused to keep him in a good state. With that Luffy accepted and they went outside after giving the cat courage.

The woman from the counter made them sit in two chairs in the waiting room and even gave them coffee to warm up a little since the nights were colder already. Luffy lasted five minutes seated and paced through the room endlessly. Sanji wanted to calm him somehow, but he didn’t know how Bacon really was and he was nervous too. He didn’t want to tell Luffy empty words just to feel a little better when perhaps things weren’t alright.

He looked up at the clock and saw that it was two in the morning. Sanji estimated that they had been there probably for one hour and half and could only hope that Bacon was better than how he looked. He was a part of their family and seeing him injured was painful. In a way it reminded him of when someone from the crew got injured and they had to wait until they felt well again. It was a tiring process to live and Sanji thought that he would never feel it again or not this soon since the journey was over, but sadly it turned out like this.

Sanji wanted to give food to Luffy since he had been up for too long, but he refused his offer. Instead he sat next to him unlike he had done in the previous hours. He looked nervous and tired, a combination Sanji never wanted to see in the captain. It was obvious he wanted to speak, but he was having trouble and Sanji preferred to give him time.

Luffy sighed and said, “I think this is my fault.”

Sanji had been waiting for this from Luffy because he knew him too well. When he thought that he hadn't protected his friends or loved ones properly, he took the blame even if he shouldn’t. This was one of those cases and he understood that at least with that he could help.

“Of course not. We couldn’t have known this was going to happen so don’t blame yourself, it’s not necessary.” He looked at Luffy trying to make him see how things really were.

Since Luffy was stubborn he shook his head and said, “It is, if we hadn't gone without him or if I hadn't wasted time getting drunk then this wouldn’t have happened.”

When he said that he looked impossibly worse than before and Sanji didn’t even think it twice and just hugged him. He felt how Luffy was stiff and wasn’t responding to the hug so Sanji took his face with his hands and made him look at him straight in the eye. Sanji would never let Luffy hurt thinking he was at fault when he wasn’t.

“Hear me out, okay?” Luffy tried to escape his gaze and looked somewhere else, but Sanji held him firmly and said, “You aren’t responsible for this. You gotta get that ’cause it’s no good that you blame yourself.”

He could see tears welling up in Luffy’s eyes, but he fought them and said, “But I shouldn’t have left-”

“Luffy! Think about it this way! He didn’t want to go with us because he was sleeping and he probably went out through the window so, actually, you getting drunk was perfect. If you hadn't, we would have arrived much later and things could have been worse!”

It seemed that made Luffy realize what Sanji was trying to tell him. It was true though, because if they had stayed at the fair longer then everything could have been so much worse. The only way to get out of the house for the cat was through the window in the living room that was close enough for him to jump to the stairs. Sanji had seen him going out from there before and that window had been open for the entire summer so this night was no different. Luffy hadn't done anything wrong and Sanji wouldn’t let him blame himself.

“Maybe you’re kinda right, but I don’t know,” Luffy said not too convinced but definitely looking better than before.

Sanji ruffled his hair and hugged him again. This time Luffy hugged him back with force and if Sanji was a weaker man then it would have hurt him, but this much strength was okay for him so he just let him hold him like he wanted and possibly needed. Between their embrace the sensation and even need to kiss Luffy’s cheek emerged in Sanji’s thoughts. This time he had more time to think it and even if he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, he felt it was necessary, so he lowered his head and leaned in.

He gave Luffy a peck in the right cheek and told him that Bacon was strong and that they would be there for him. He saw how Luffy blushed and put a hand in his face. He seemed surprised and Sanji was having second thoughts about his idea, but Luffy smiled at him and hugged him even tighter, hiding his face in Sanji’s neck. He exclaimed against his skin that he was thankful to have him as a friend and that they would indeed accompany Bacon.

With that Luffy seemed to calm down and they waited for another hour until they saw the vet going out of the room. They stood up and asked the vet immediately how Bacon was. The vet had a small smile and started explaining them.

“He’s much better than I had expected. He’s a real fighter! He protected his vital organs so the damage is not deep and now he’s just resting.”

Sanji and Luffy sighed and Luffy asked to take him home so he could sleep in his bed, but the doctor shook his head.

“But wasn’t he just resting? He can do that at home,” Luffy said and Sanji understood his sentiment, but the vet probably had a good reason.

“Yes, he is resting from that traumatic experience, but that doesn’t mean he can start his normal activities right away. It’ll take at least three days for him to leave,” the doctor said and Luffy made a hurt face.

Sanji put his arm around Luffy and brought him closer. He then said, “But can we see him today?”

The vet nodded and led them to another room while telling them Bacon’s general state. “He has bites in his tail and over his skin, but the dogs weren’t able to get past it. That’s the worst part and other than being bruised nothing it’s too complicated. We gave him some shots to prevent infections.”

They entered the new room that was connected with the one they had been before and saw Bacon resting in a cage. Luffy almost ran to the cat’s side and talked to him. Sanji accompanied him and Bacon lifted his head tiredly. It was sad to see him like that, but considering how they found him, it was so much better that he was at least conscious now. He was patched up in various places, but the tail was the most covered by gauzes. He didn’t look as dirty as before, but there was something in the position he was sleeping that made it obvious that he had been hurt.

Still, when Bacon noticed their presence, aside of lifting his head, he also meowed. Sanji sighed and he saw how Luffy clearly relaxed. He started telling the cat that he would feel better in no time and that when he came back to their house he would eat tons of fish. Bacon meowed again and even purred, so that meant that he was listening to what Luffy was saying.

Luffy stretched one of his fingers through the cage and petted Bacon behind his ears like he usually liked. He continued with that and Sanji asked the vet if the cat had eaten in his stay. The man said that they had given him a type of special food called “critical care”. Luffy stopped petting Bacon and turned his head visibly worried. The vet seemed to catch in their worried expressions and said that it was something most cats ate when hospitalized to keep them well-nourished.

With that both were able to breathe properly again and Luffy continued petting Bacon. After a while the vet told them that they needed to go because it was really late, but Luffy wanted to stay what remained of the night with Bacon. The vet said that it was impossible and Luffy was getting angry and stubborn, a terrible combination, so Sanji thought of a good way to make him understand.

“He needs to rest, Luffy. If we stay here he won’t be able to sleep,” he said and Luffy nodded, seemingly comprehending the situation.

They said their goodbyes to Bacon and told him that they would come back as soon as possible in the morning. The cat meowed one last time before they left the room and when they were in the waiting room they asked the vet when they could visit him. The man explained that after twelve in the morning and the whole afternoon until seven o’ clock, but that another vet and staff would be there because of their shifts. He also told them that they would have to pay when Bacon was checked out and they accepted easily.

After that they left the place and Sanji was feeling drowsy. It was only now that the tiredness was catching up to him and he could sense that Luffy was in a similar state. They walked fast to their house and when they arrived, Sanji saw that it was past four in the morning. Waking up tomorrow would be difficult, but they had to accompany Bacon the more they could.

Despite the hour Sanji offered a snack to Luffy. He refused, but his stomach sounded and he looked shy. The mood wasn’t good enough to laugh about it so Sanji only smiled and gave Luffy some cookies he had thankfully prepared for him some hours ago in the day. He ate them with a sad expression and when he was done they went to sleep in the bedroom.

While they changed into their pajamas, Sanji got lost staring at Luffy’s pretty clothes. He had looked great that day and he had thought about it for a long time until he got drunk and had to take care of him. It was a shame that those stupid dogs had hurt Bacon because the atmosphere had been so good, like something would happen that day.

When they were finally ready to sleep they lay in the bed. No one had to say anything and they searched for the other to hug. They held firmly and almost desperately, but it was obvious it was something they needed. Sanji was really tired and he began dozing off rather quickly, but he heard one last thing before he actually fell asleep.

“You still have to call me Lu, though. I’m gonna think of a name for you soon. Just you wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Bacon :c  
> He'll be fine though!  
> Thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bacon feels better; Sanji and Luffy not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Once again I say I'm going to post on a Sunday and I didn't so I'm sorry for that! If anything I'm sure the next chapters will be posted on the days close to the weekend like today.  
> Now I'm writing the last chapter, but I won't be able to post two chapters per week even if the story is ready for my own schedule :c  
> Still, I hope you guys like this chapter and thanks for reading!

30.

 

Sanji and Luffy were going to visit Bacon to the vet since that day there were high chances he was discharged and could go back home with them. His condition had been much better the past days so the doctors had said that it was possible for him to leave soon, though only after the days they had first determined. Bacon didn’t even need to eat critical care and was in a good mood despite the bruises and wounds in his skin that were still patched up.

Both were happy that Bacon was feeling better, but Sanji could notice how much Luffy missed the cat in the house. Most of the time Bacon was his companion when he was by himself and Sanji knew that Luffy loved –needed- to be surrounded by people and, even if Bacon was a cat, that wasn’t a real difference for him. That meant that Luffy had a sad face all the morning and when he went to visit him he was happy, but when he came back alone, he was clearly sorrowful.

Sanji could only go with Luffy for two hours because he had to work and he hated being away from him and Bacon, but those were his responsibilities. He was still learning how to run a restaurant and he had been absent too many times and Christina couldn’t handle everything, especially since he was in charge of the administration. Maybe in a few months when he had more experience he could leave for longer, but now it wasn’t a real option. Still, since Luffy was amazing he never berated him for it and said that he would take care of Bacon in his stead.

For that and because he wanted to see them both happy, Sanji hoped Bacon was alright already. However, if that didn’t happen and the cat had to stay longer, then he would have to hide his disappointment and show support to Luffy, who he knew would be the most affected. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t, but Bacon was Luffy’s companion and he had to be strong for him.

It was past noon and they went to pick Bacon in case the vet did allow it. Sanji wanted to go before rush hour was totally on, but if they were delayed it would be fine too. They went inside the clinic and the lady that received them was Lila, the same woman that they met the first day, greeted them with a smile. She was a very good woman and even let Luffy stay a few minutes longer with Bacon. She called for the vet and it was a different doctor to the one that had attended Bacon that night.

The man had a smile and said, “I won’t make you wait longer than this so Bacon can leave now. He’s fine.”

Luffy jumped and hugged Sanji tightly. He laughed well-naturedly because he shared the feeling and understood how happy he was. The vet made them follow him to the room where Bacon’s cage was at. The doctor opened the cage and the cat almost flew outside of it. He looked filled with energy as usual even if he still had his tail patched. Other than that and having some spots of fur missing, Bacon looked just like always and Sanji was so glad to see him well again.

Luffy wanted to carry Bacon back to their house immediately, but the vet stopped him with a laugh. He said that he actually had to carry him in a cage even if he was alright. They didn’t have one and the vet was going to lend them a cage, but Sanji preferred to just buy one in case something happened. Luffy didn’t like the implication that had, but he explained that it was just for precaution.

After the vet told them the instructions and they paid for Bacon’s stay, they left to the house with happy faces. The vet said that Bacon would have to assist to a control the next day, Friday, and the next Monday to see how he was faring. His diet was just always and he was taking some medicaments to prevent an infection, but that much Sanji knew they could handle between them.

When they arrived at the house Luffy took out Bacon from the cage and petted him while the cat purred. Sanji rubbed behind his ears and they continued pampering him. Bacon was supposed to begin slowly with his normal activities, but since he was Luffy’s cat after all, the first thing that he did was start jumping in the couches. They had to stop him for obvious reasons.

The good thing with Bacon was that despite still having gauzes, it wasn’t like they needed to clean his wounds as they were mostly repaired. Sanji knew that they would have sucked at treating him so it was great that he was fine. He stayed with Luffy and the cat petting him and making sure he wasn’t doing anything stupid as expected of Bacon.

Sanji knew he was spending more time with them than what he should, but there was something so heartwarming about being with them. In more ways than one they were Sanji’s family and he couldn’t lie, Luffy was finally smiling like he loved so he was really happy. It was like he couldn’t tear his eyes apart of his wide grin and he was focused on both Bacon and his welcome and Luffy’s general good energy, which pulled him closer and closer to him.

In the meantime, and because he felt it wasn’t completely right to keep staring at Luffy, he prepared the fish he had promised Bacon. The cat was really happy when he put the food in his bowl and with that he could have left already, but he couldn’t. For some reason it was like he was stuck in his house with Luffy.

When he felt it was time for him to go back to the restaurant, even if he didn’t want to, he began leaving. He was about to open the door for the stairs that led to the restaurant, but before he could he felt Luffy hugging him from behind. His arms surrounded him by the waist and his heart was jumping. His breath caught in his throat and it was more than the simple surprise; there was another rush in his veins aside of adrenaline.

“Luffy, what are you doing?” He asked because he didn’t know what was happening.

“I just wanted to say you thanks because you helped me so much. I couldn’t have done this alone,” Luffy said with his mouth close to Sanji’s ear.

A shiver ran down his spine and he shut his eyes to focus on his answer. Sanji understood why Luffy was telling him this, but it was like his heart couldn’t let him think enough on a response; it beat too loudly in his ears for him to formulate an answer.

Luffy seemed to notice his silence and asked him if he was making him uncomfortable, something he really wasn’t doing. It was just that his heart didn’t let him think straight, but he didn’t want for Luffy to misunderstand either, so he opened his eyes and breathed in to calm a little.

He took one of Luffy’s hands and held it while turning around to face him fully. Now he knew what to tell him.

“You don’t have to thank me. I didn’t _help_ you ’cause I also feel that Bacon is a part of my family…Our family,” Sanji said with emotion and he saw how Luffy’s face turned red.

In less than a second Luffy was hugging him again and now it was Sanji who blushed. His heart kept beating madly inside him and while he was scared of the compromise of his words, he also really felt them and wanted for Luffy to know. Sanji hugged him back with ease and he was regretting ever wanting to go back to work because staying with Luffy sounded so much more interesting and nicer than it.

“Bacon is _our_ cat then, right?” Luffy said and he nodded without wanting to let go of him.

At the end Luffy did let him go, but they were still incredibly close. Sanji felt the same pull he had felt some times before and didn’t know what to do. Somehow he desired to be even nearer to Luffy, but how would that be possible? And yet he still tried.

Sanji was leaning down to Luffy’s level to do something he just didn’t know about, but he needed to be close to the captain. When he was looking directly at Luffy’s eyes he saw how he seemed rather confused, but instead his view went down to his lips. It was the first time Sanji noticed it, but they were beautiful and a rather different shade of pink; darker than most, but they were still so pretty that he wanted to kiss them so much…

Sanji woke up from his daydreaming of Luffy’s fair lips and he separated immediately of his proximity. He stood up correctly and breathed in and out because what the hell had been that about? Had he really thought about kissing Luffy?

“Sanji, what’s going on? Is something wrong? We were hugging and-”

“No, nothing, I just remembered that I had to do something at the restaurant. I have an important bill to pay. Don’t worry,” he said with a small smile while trying to not freak out again in front of Luffy.

“Are you sure? You look kinda pale,” Luffy said and Sanji just knew that he hadn't bought it, but he really wasn’t going to tell him the real reasons for why colors disappeared from his face.

“Yeah, it’s important, but nothing too bad. I have to do it now so I’m gonna go now. Call me if Bacon needs anything.”

Sanji tried escaping the situation with that and Luffy only nodded and just smiled that pretty smile of his and he wanted to die. He went down the stairs with Luffy telling him to take care and Bacon meowing behind him. His heart was going so fast that he thought it could end in an attack if it continued that way.

When he was back at the kitchen of the restaurant everyone looked at him and his evident state of nervousness. Christina got close to him to ask him if Bacon was alright and he said that he was back at the house with Luffy. He didn’t say anything more and went to his office. Rush hour was ending and he knew that he had to help the cooks, but he couldn’t do it with his mind so lost.

After he closed the door of his office he stood next to it like he had been running for hours. His heart was beating madly again and when he thought back to what he had wanted to do he blushed too. Sanji’s mind also wondered back to Luffy’s lips and his heart skipped another beat and he was sure he was dying that day.

Why would he even think of Luffy’s lips? Why would he want to kiss him? He was his _friend_ and friends didn’t think of each other like that. Normally, when people wanted to kiss another person it was because they were attracted to said person, but that simply couldn’t be. Seriously, Luffy was his friend and he had accompanied him through so many things and now he thought of kissing him and his pretty lips and face and eyes and smile and…No, that couldn’t be.

He wasn’t attracted to Luffy because if he was attracted then that could also mean that he liked him and that was a big no. That would be the worst case scenario ever since Luffy was his friend and captain and he couldn’t like him. No, that would be terrible because Luffy would never like him back (if Sanji actually liked him of course, something he didn’t do). He had never shown interest and Sanji had seen how he was when he liked someone. With John he had known almost immediately and had acted on his feelings fast so it was obvious he just didn’t like him, which was great because Sanji _didn’t_ like him either.

Still, Sanji needed to do something because his mind continued leading him to Luffy and that couldn’t keep happening. It was wrong so he had to do something and find a way to get him out his every thought. He didn’t want to be away from him, but if it was necessary perhaps he would have to do it. However, it felt terrible in his chest to think that he would separate just because he was afraid of something that wasn’t really happening and was only in his imagination. If Sanji handled this badly then he could strain his friendship with Luffy, whom he actually thought the world of and loved having him in his life. If he was wrong he could mess everything that had been good, great, for the past months.

Sanji was back to freaking out and he decided that he had to cook, otherwise he would explode. At the moment he had no idea what could help to make his heart go back to its normal state, but he needed to move and let his mind focus on what he loved. Cooking, because he loved other things, but that wasn’t a route he was willing to explore.

……………………………..

They were having breakfast rather late that day because Sanji had slept in. That was something that practically never happened to him, but he had a hard time falling asleep and was only able to when it was five in the morning. In all truthfulness, Sanji and Luffy only woke up because Bacon began annoying them for food, something that he was actually happy for or he would have stayed there the whole morning.

On the topic about why Sanji hadn't been able to sleep early it was for the same thing that had been bothering him since yesterday: thinking of kissing Luffy. How did that thought even come up to him anyway? He was scared and frustrated for ever thinking about something like that because seriously, why would his mind drift there? His head kept providing him images of Luffy’s lips and in the night it only got worse.

When Luffy fell asleep hugging him he began thinking about actually kissing him. Sanji just couldn’t tell Luffy that he didn’t want to hug him because that would have worried him so he made it seem like everything was alright and he wasn’t dying inside. Inside Sanji’s mind, the most vivid pictures of him kissing Luffy appeared, as if dancing under the moonlight. In the darkness Sanji imagined having Luffy impossibly close and kissing him sweetly. With each thought his heart beat so strongly and Sanji was really afraid the sound would wake Luffy.

Since his imagination was going places Sanji really didn’t wish to explore nor see, he stayed awake until he was tired enough to actually remain with his eyes closed. When they had gotten up later than usual Luffy asked Sanji why he hadn't woken up as always, but he hadn't wanted to tell him that his night had been filled with them kissing in his dreams.

Luffy hadn't cared too much of sleeping in, but something he did notice was that Sanji hadn't called him since yesterday by his new nickname. Sanji just didn’t feel it right to call him “Lu” when he was thinking of kissing him. It was wrong in his opinion and when Luffy insisted on him calling him that, he still stood by the decision to refrain himself from naming him as that.

After eating and getting ready for work, Sanji went down to open the restaurant and only hoped that Luffy would stay away from there. Luckily for him Luffy said that he had to take Bacon to the control with the vet. With that tranquility Sanji felt more at ease and received the staff with his best face, trying to hide the fact that he had slept less than four hours and that he was freaking out.

No one seemed to perceive his real state as they didn’t comment on it and Sanji was thankful for that. He wanted to spend the whole day at the restaurant and possibly skip sleeping for that night and stay there without seeing Luffy. Whenever he thought about Luffy his mind went back to what he had almost done yesterday and the captain being so close.

To distract himself from going to those dangerous ideas, Sanji cooked the whole morning and didn’t rest until well past rush hour. When it was almost four and a half he was finally eating at the staff room by himself and he was dead tired, but he preferred to just work from the meantime; he was no good right now. Even while cooking, something he was always very focused on, Sanji’s mind went to Luffy. It was no better that a family had turned up for a meat-heavy lunch that afternoon either. With every piece of meat in the oven, the more Sanji thought about Luffy.

Now that he was resting it was even more difficult because he had time to think. Off Time meant more time to think about Luffy and his lips and how pretty he looked when he woke up next to him every morning. Had his thoughts always been like this? Had he actually spent time thinking of Luffy being beautiful? Sanji had to admit that one way or another Luffy was always present in his mind, but he just didn’t recall if they involved those kinds of thoughts.

While he was lost and the taste of the food Sanji was eating barely registered in his mouth, Mariano appeared through the door looking worried. Since Sanji was now more than used to this behavior he wasn’t alarmed in the least and waited for the young cook to explain whatever he wanted.

“Boss, a pretty woman is looking for you. She says she’s a journalist,” Mariano said and he had Sanji’s full attention from the get-go.

This was the kind of thing he was always expecting to happen so he wouldn’t waste this time. He ate rapidly and told Mariano to lead the woman to his private office. Sanji went to wash his teeth and then left the dirty dish he used at the kitchen. He made sure he looked fine one last time before going inside his office and when he was content with it he entered the place.

A woman was seated in the chair that was in the front of the desk. She was facing the other side so Sanji couldn’t see her completely, but just from her hair he knew that she was a beauty. She turned around when he heard Sanji opening the door and then smiled at him. That was all it took for Sanji to like her immediately; she was truly pretty. She was of the standard of beauty Sanji always liked so he felt the necessity to flatter her. Nevertheless, when he was about to open his mouth for the first compliments an image of Luffy smiling appeared before his eyes and the words died down in his mouth.

The woman seemed to notice his state and asked him if he needed help. He took that chance to calm himself and in a smooth motion said that he needed to speak with a woman as beautiful as her, something that seemed to catch her off guard because she made a confused face. It didn’t last though, and she smiled at him and said that she also needed to speak with him. She had a smirk while saying that and Sanji was getting more interested.

He went to the other side of the desk and sat on a chair. Sanji asked the woman her name and she said she was called Camille. She didn’t waste a second and said that she was a journalist for a newspaper and that wanted to interview him to know about his life as a cook and how the restaurant worked. She told him that she wouldn’t ask for details about the All Blue but that she really wanted to discover about his life.

Sanji was surprised and flattered because that was a first. Yeah, sure, back in the day he was always on the front page of every newspaper around the world when the crew did something outrageous, but now that wasn’t so often. To top it all newspapers spoke about his crimes as a pirate and almost never about his good deeds. The only times something was about cooking was when he found the All Blue or when he funded the restaurant, but even then it wasn’t so much about his skills as a cook. It wasn’t like he really cared about being popular with people, but being well known by women was another story.

Camille started explaining that she would like to know about how he started cooking and how he developed his skills. She mentioned that after that she would like to see how the restaurant worked and take some pictures of the installations. Sanji thought that nothing of that was too much or compromised the secret of the All Blue so he didn’t refuse the woman’s ideas and welcomed them.

Camille took out a notebook and a den den mushi to record the conversation. They started with the interview and Camille asked Sanji how he had first started to cook, something that he really wasn’t too willing to share. He didn’t give too many details and said that he had always been interested ever since he was a kid and began there with his cooking practice.

The woman asked him about his childhood with the Germa, but he only shook his head and said that he wouldn’t talk about them. Of course his mom and sister were a huge influence in him, especially his mom, but he still didn’t want to tell someone he didn’t know about his past; it was too personal and it hurt sometimes. The good thing was that Camille accepted easily his request and didn’t insist on the topic. Instead she focused back on how he started working with Zeff at the Baratie.

Again Sanji didn’t get into details and only said that at some point he had met Zeff and that he was very thankful for everything he had done for him. He was pretty sure that Zeff wouldn’t like it too much that he was telling people what exactly he had done for him so he opted to just thank him. He began listing the recipes he had learned there and the techniques that had been taught to him by Zeff when he was a child.

Sanji spent a good amount of time just remembering those teachings and then realized that Camille was probably tired of listening to him going eternally about food so he stopped and apologized. Camille only laughed and said with a smile that she had come for that so it was not a problem. Sanji was really liking the woman and then she focused again on her questions and started asking how he had joined the Straw hats and if they had changed his cooking.

Sanji thought about it for a second. If he was honest he hadn't really thought of it like that, but mostly because it felt so natural for him, like that was the best and right place to be cooking. However, it was true that they had changed his cooking in a way. Since it was the same ten mouths for years Sanji had grown used to preparing their favorite food and innovating but always making sure it stuck to the crew’s likings. Now that he had a restaurant it was definitely different because he couldn’t know each person’s likings and went by the book, but the innovation was still there. There was also the fact that Luffy still ate like ten portions all by himself so that wasn’t too distinct.

As Sanji’s mind drifted in Luffy’s direction as always he got distracted and wondered what he could be doing now. It seemed he got too lost in thought because Camille called for his attention and only then he stopped thinking about Luffy. He felt embarrassed by the situation so he tried to focus back on the previous conversation. He began telling the journalist how the Straw hats had helped him improve and change his cooking like he had thought before, but then Camille just had to mention Luffy. She said that since he was living with him some of those customs must have stuck longer and of course Sanji couldn’t keep his mouth shut and started telling her about how much he had to cook for Luffy.

He kept on without noticing how long and Camille looked really interested about what he was saying so he stopped when the woman commented on how fun they were. Sanji seriously didn’t know what happened with his brain that seemed to be working without his permission and got embarrassed again. Even if he knew it wasn’t like that, it was like when teenagers were so in love they couldn’t stop talking about their crush. Since that wasn’t the case Sanji just felt stupid for always thinking about Luffy one way or another.

After that lapse Camille asked him about the restaurant and with this he did give her more information since it wasn’t something secret. He told her that he had thought it would be a good idea to start something on his own and that it was a first, but then he just had to say that Luffy’s company had helped him a lot in the times when things got tough in the restaurant and in his life. Really, what was wrong with the connection brain-to-mouth in him?

Camille looked interested in what he said and commented that Luffy was truly a great captain. He only nodded and bit his tongue to stop himself from telling Camille endlessly about how Luffy was a marvelous captain and man. With that information Camille seemed happy and said that she would like to take pictures of the kitchen and the other installations.

Sanji led Camille through the restaurant while she took pictures of the dining room and the bar and even the bathrooms. Then he took her to the actual kitchen and she said she was impressed by what she was seeing. Before, Camille had commented that she was a journalist that specialized in covering restaurants so if she said that the place was good then in her eyes it probably was, though Sanji didn’t have doubts about it now.

While Camille took pictures of the kitchen she spoke with the cooks and the waiters about how it was working under Sanji. Most of them said that they were really happy to work with him, except for John and Elijah that said that they were only in for Luffy that lit their lives. It was obviously in a mocking tone, but Camille didn’t understand it and asked them further. They commented about how Luffy was wonderful and he was loved by everyone in return because he was a great head cook even if he wasn’t a cook.

Only then Camille seemed to get that they were only being annoying, but didn’t ebb and continued asking the two stupid cooks about Luffy. They answered that he was actually great with them and a really nice addition to the restaurant and that things wouldn’t work the same without him. The other cooks nodded along those words and Sanji couldn’t feel prouder since for him Luffy meant the whole world.

He felt so glad while listening to the staff telling the journalist how cool and great Luffy was. He was so lost in a combination of both their words and his own thoughts about Luffy that he didn’t realize when everyone was looking at him. When he noticed their stares on him, Sanji finally snapped out of it and asked them if they needed something. The staff only said that they knew that Luffy was a good companion for Sanji and he felt like blushing for some reason.

The staff didn’t give much different looks to the ones they always had when teasing him, but Camille looked puzzled. It was understandable though, because who blushed when thinking about their captain? No one and Sanji was the exception so he freaked out and preferred to change the topic quickly. He asked Camille if she needed to see other places of the installations and she said that she wanted to take pictures of his office. He accepted and they left the kitchen.

In the short walk to the office Sanji could feel Camille’s curious stare on him and he was dying. Would the woman ask him about Luffy? His paranoid mind led him to think that she would ask of where his thoughts had been wondering the past hours. Would she ask him about the kisses he envisioned himself giving Luffy? Would she be smart enough? Would she get the wrong impression and think that he liked Luffy?

The last question and musing from his rowdy mind made him become scared and desperate so when they were inside and she took one last picture Sanji had an idea that he hoped would help him. He tried to relax and make it seem natural and then spoke up when Camille put the den den mushi down.

“So, I was thinking that you’re a really nice woman, Camille,” Sanji said and the woman offered him an awkward look, but he continued anyway, “And I thought it would be cool if we could like go out together sometime soon?”

He asked and by soon he meant preferably tomorrow as to escape from his treacherous thoughts. Screw that he had to work the Saturday; he needed to be with someone _now_.

Camille gave him another unreadable look, but then smiled and said, “Sure, I mean I have to seize the time I spend here after all, right?”

With that Sanji felt like breathing normally again and made Camille stay with him at the office for some time because he wanted to know about her. They had been talking all afternoon about him so he didn’t know much about the journalist and he thought it unfair. He began asking her questions about her life and she responded easily to them as it seemed she didn’t have trouble sharing personal matters.

The important parts Sanji needed to know were about what she meant with seize the time she spent at the island and she said that she was just there for his interview, but after two days she would be going somewhere else. Strange as it sounded Sanji wasn’t as sad as he thought he would feel upon finding about this information and only said that he would make her stay pleasurable. He really didn’t mind if she stayed for a short time and only cared about getting his mind off Luffy.

She still commented that if she liked him well enough in their date she would stay longer. Sanji smiled at that and offered to continue to talk upstairs so they could eat. It wasn’t like they wouldn’t be able to eat at the restaurant and he actually had to work, but he preferred to speed things up a little and the privacy of the house would probably accelerate things between them.

They went upstairs from the kitchen with everyone looking at them. Sanji put Christina in charge of things and this was already in the raise of her paycheck so it wasn’t so bad. Nevertheless, Sanji still felt kind of guilty for skipping job when he had to be responsible. He hoped things would be alright in his absence and he tried to calm himself thinking that if anything happened he was right by the restaurant anyway.

When they were at the house he cooked something for Camille that he thought would be to her liking. It was a simple risotto and when he served it to her she said she really liked it. She also said that it was probably the best risotto she had ever tasted and Sanji felt glad, though his mind flew rapidly to whenever Luffy would praise his food and skills. It was almost thorny and scary how fast his thoughts went to Luffy and even terrifying how they remained with the captain.

He was distracted and with luck half of what Camille spoke registered in his mind. At some point the woman seemed to notice his lack of attention and asked him why he was so unfocused. He apologized and said that he was a workaholic that couldn’t get his mind off his job, but it was a terrible lie and it was obvious Camille didn’t believe him. She didn’t care though because she kept talking about where it would be a nice place to visit.

Sanji didn’t know how long it went by, but he saw that the sun was already setting. He wanted to walk Camille to the inn she was staying at when he felt the door that led directly to the kitchen opening. From the stairs Luffy emerged with Bacon in his arms looking rather distressed. Sanji stood up from the couch he was seated and started scolding him since Bacon was completely forbidden from entering the kitchen, but Luffy beat him to it and spoke up.

“Are you alright? The guys told me you had to leave early with a woman,” he said and then looked to where Camille was.

“Everything is fine, so don’t worry. She’s Camille and she’s a journalist that came to interview me. We were just talking now,” he said with a smile and saw how Luffy relaxed. He was a worrywart sometimes.

“That’s so cool! I bet it was super fun talking about Sanji. He’s great so I hope he’s on the front page and that you use a nice pic of him!” Luffy said with a wide smile and Sanji felt how butterflies danced on his stomach.

Camille stood up from the couch and said that it had been fun talking with him. Then she went to Luffy’s side and shook his hand. Sanji really liked that it seemed they were getting along because Camille stayed some time longer with them after Luffy arrived. However, it was only a few minutes and she said she needed to go to her inn. Sanji offered this time to walk her and Luffy said he would go with them, but he refused and told him to wait for him at the house. It would be too uncomfortable to set a date with a third party so they went out without Luffy.

Sanji saw how Luffy looked rather sad, but he still went with Camille to the inn. It wasn’t a long walk so they arrived quickly to the place. He couldn’t lie that the whole way he had spent it thinking that it might have been better to just bring Luffy with them so he had completely forgotten about the date. When they were about to say goodbye, Camille laughed, but Sanji didn’t understand why.

“Aren’t we forgetting something? Don’t we have a date tomorrow? What hour are you going to pick me up?” She asked in a playful tone and Sanji felt embarrassed that he really wasn’t paying attention to a beautiful woman right in front of him.

“Two o’ clock sounds good for you? That way the afternoon is well seized,” he said while chuckling and Camille just nodded.

With that Sanji began leaving, but Camille caught him by the arm and made him stop. She stood up in her tiptoes and gave him a peck in the cheek. He was surprised and by the smile she was giving him he understood that it was probable that if he just kissed her fully in the lips she would respond, but his mind just led him back to the topic of his restlessness and he thought of yesterday when he had wanted to kiss Luffy.

He was freaking out this time as well, but it just didn’t feel right to kiss Camille so he only took her hand and in a gentle manner kissed it softly. That made the woman smile and she went inside the inn while Sanji felt like screaming. Since when didn’t he want to kiss beautiful women? A few months back that was possibly the other purpose of his life and now he was throwing away that chance.

Sanji went back to the house fast and when he arrived he found that Luffy wasn’t in the living room like he had expected. He saw that there was a used a dish, but he didn’t understand where Luffy would get that food from so he went to their room and saw that that the lights were turned off and everything was too strange now so he grew worried. He noticed that Luffy was under the sheets of the bed sleeping and that Bacon was by his side. Was he sick?

He went to his side and said, “Is something wrong? Where did you get that food from?”

He heard a sigh and Luffy said, “I asked the guys to give me some. They are still working so it’s okay. When it’s the time to close the restaurant you should tell them that the food was good.”

In Luffy’s voice something was broken and Sanji didn’t know what to do. There was also the fact that Luffy hadn't answered to his question either, so he asked again. “Luffy, is something wrong with you?”

He noticed how it was like Luffy shuddered and he was more worried. It seemed he was actually sick so he wanted to take the first-aid kit, but then Luffy took him by the wrist and made him stop.

“I’m alright. Just feeling kinda blue for some reason, but with sleep it’ll go away.” Sanji wanted to ask him immediately why he was feeling sad, but Luffy as always spoke up faster. “How did things turn out with the pretty lady? When is the interview gonna come out?”

Sanji really wanted to know what was bothering Luffy, but if this helped distract him then he could talk about his life instead.

“I don’t know when exactly, but I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? You aren’t done with the interview?” Luffy sounded curious and that was much better for Sanji so he kept talking.

“Yeah, but it’s not an interview, it’s a date actually. Wish me good luck!” Sanji said with fake happiness, but the smile he had disappeared when Luffy didn’t say anything.

After a short while Luffy said, “I hope you have a great time! She looked nice, but we can talk about it tomorrow ’cause I’m really sleepy now.”

Something sounded even more broken and pained in Luffy’s voice and Sanji wanted to ask him what was wrong with him again, but he saw how he had his eyes shut firmly and seemed to be trying to sleep. Maybe he had a headache and that was why he was in pain, but even if it was something simple as that, it still preoccupied Sanji a lot.

He preferred to leave him alone so he could sleep and went down to the restaurant to send the staff back home. He thanked them for feeding Luffy and when it was the right hour to close the restaurant he let everyone go. In a short time he went back to the house and tried to make little noise while changing.

He wanted to check on Luffy, but he was already sleeping so he just turned the light on of the lamp by his nightstand. He knew that Luffy would never wake with just light so he inspected him. Luffy was sleeping, but it was like he was having nightmares for his expression. He didn’t say anything in his dreams and only had a scowl, but it was then that Sanji noticed that he had dried tears in his eyes and cheeks.

He wanted to wake him so they could fix whatever it was hurting Luffy, but he preferred to just let him rest and tomorrow they could talk. Sanji wouldn’t let anything or anyone damage his captain. If he had to, he would destroy everyone that got in the way of his smile, no matter who this person was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Sanji kinda knows now. He's come a long way...Or not.  
> Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the new chapter! It may be kind of angsty.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji goes on a date (again); Luffy is sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter and it's actually on the right schedule for once!  
> I'm still on process of writing the last chapter for this fic, but the next chapters will definitely indicate the climax of this story. In the next weeks I may post two chapters per week since they are special chapters, but I will see then!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like this one!

31.

 

The next day Sanji felt like a pile of trash because in his sleepless night he recalled that Luffy had taken Bacon to his control and he hadn't asked anything about it. It was a good reason to be mad, but Luffy actually looked sadder than angry, though that was still understandable too. Sanji had said they were his family and he had forgotten about them stupidly for being distracted with kisses and women.

He apologized to Luffy and Bacon by giving them a great breakfast and then he asked how the control with the vet had gone. Luffy didn’t seem to get that he was apologizing and only said that the doctor had found Bacon to be in top condition. It was true because the cat didn’t even have the patches in his tail and Sanji felt even worse for not noticing sooner. Still, he thought that with food Luffy would forget about his idiocy, but he continued to look sad, so now he wasn’t sure if he was mad at him for not remembering about Bacon.

Since it was Saturday it was a terrible day for him to go on a date. A lot more people than usual showed in the restaurant, especially from other cities of the same Lovebird Island or from other places too. It was just a serious bad idea from his part to go on the date that day, but he was desperate for escaping those thoughts about Luffy that tormented him even in the night with him sleeping next to him.

For that reason even if he knew that it would be tough on the staff he chose to just go with Camille on their date. He worked with the cooks for less than an hour and put in charge of the restaurant Christina that asked him why he wouldn’t be there with them. He said that he had to meet with the woman from yesterday, but didn’t say that they would be in a date. As strange as it sounded, he didn’t want anyone to know about them and perhaps if Camille decided to stay longer then he would tell Christina or Mariano, but that was it.

Sanji went up to the house to get ready for his date and brought lunch for Luffy that still felt sad and stayed there. He was in the couch looking outside the windows with Bacon sitting in his lap. He seemed really distracted and whatever it was that was troubling him occupied his mind fully. Of course he ate everything, but even then Sanji could see his hurt expression and how some tears threatened to fall.

He was really worried and didn’t know what to do with him. Luffy looked so unlike himself and Sanji hadn't seen him smiling in the morning either. What could have him feeling so blue? Sanji asked him again if he was alright and Luffy lied that he was completely fine and just bored, something Sanji more than knew wasn’t like that. The captain was too stubborn sometimes.

Sanji was having second thoughts about going to the date with Camille since Luffy wasn’t feeling well and that was too wrong. Luffy being sad without reason was awful in his opinion; Luffy was the sun made human so to have him being gloomy was terrible. Also, if he needed his aid then as his crewmate and friend it was his responsibility to stay by his side and help him get through whatever difficulty he was facing.

He offered to stay with him, but Luffy said that it wasn’t necessary since he was alright. Sanji noticed how Luffy tried to look better and with the power of conviction he had, he managed to make Sanji just focus back on his upcoming date. He changed his clothes for more fitting ones and when he asked Luffy how he looked the captain seemed to almost break. Sanji got even more worried and insisted on staying with him, but he refused.

If Luffy didn’t want to be with him then he could be with someone else, so Sanji thought that it would be a good idea if he went to Roque and Tea’s parlor in the meantime. Sanji didn’t want him to be alone so he told Luffy that he could spend his day there with them. That seemed to cheer Luffy up a little and he said that he would go after eating some cookies he had left ready.

After that was clear, Sanji finally left. He didn’t dare to ask for good luck from Luffy or to even spare him a last glance. He felt incredibly guilty that he was leaving Luffy all alone, when he was sad, for a date when he hadn't skipped his work to visit Bacon. That seriously made Sanji feel so bad that he was somehow even sad too; he really hadn't put things on perspective. He had decided that to run away from whatever feelings he had for Luffy was better than staying with him when it shouldn’t have been like that at all.

He still went to the inn where Camille was staying and waited in the street for her to show up. Normally, he would have gotten inside the building to look for her, but he wasn’t feeling the date too much, which sucked because it hadn't even started yet. Camille appeared fifteen minutes later and she didn’t look too happy. As he had feared she asked him why he hadn't looked for her inside, but he simply shrugged.

Camille didn’t comment on it and let it pass by. Sanji’s plans were to take her to see the river in a gondola and after that, eat at a restaurant that he knew was good. Usually, he would have prepared some snacks for the pretty lady, but his mind was with Luffy and clearly not here. He still tried to make small conversation, but unlike yesterday he didn’t have too many topics to keep them talking.

As things were currently like that both grew bored soon and Sanji felt bad for making Camille waste time. If he had known that Luffy was going to be sad that day and that he would be distracted because of that then he would have never asked Camille out. He was so stupid and he felt terrible for using the woman like that. Just because he was scared of his thoughts it didn’t mean that he could use the first person that appeared in front of him. His list of things to feel guilty about were piling up in his head and he didn’t know how to change them.

The whole ride in the gondola was awkward and when Camille tried to get close to Sanji he rejected her. She tried to hold his hand, but Sanji didn’t want her close and if he was honest other than Luffy he wouldn’t allow anyone to be so close to him now. Damn it he was so dumb, ruining everything like this. Back in the day he would be the one trying to hold the lady’s hand, but now he was pushing back that contact. It was so strange because he always felt the necessity for contact and now he was avoiding it, so really, what was his problem?

His rejection only made things more awkward and uncomfortable between them and Sanji felt like throwing himself at the water to escape from the situation. In his desperation to make things more normal he started speaking more, but Camille said repeatedly that they had already talked about whatever topic he brought up. She had a completely dissatisfied face and Sanji hated that. His role as a man was to please women, not make them mad. His ego was taking a hit, but then his mind went back to Luffy for the umpteenth time that day and he was considering running to the sea and drown under a wave.

The trip in the gondola ended at some point, though Sanji really wasn’t sure when exactly because he only paid. In his plans they were supposed to eat at a restaurant, but would the woman really want any of that? He didn’t expect much from her, but he still asked her and she said she preferred to stay at the riverside seeing the beautiful birds. Since that was her request Sanji remained there with Camille seated at a bank with the sun bathing them in its rays.

They didn’t talk of anything and it was almost hilarious why they continued with the worst date ever. It wasn’t even because of it being the first terrifying date but because nothing was flowing between them and it was evident that a second date would be nonexistent. And even like that Sanji really didn’t care that he wouldn’t see Camille anymore, no matter how beautiful she was. He felt like cursing under his breath for the disaster when he saw that Camille looked at him puzzled.

“Did you just swear?” She asked incensed and Sanji really didn’t get what he had done wrong this one time.

“Yeah, but nothing too bad,” Sanji said totally lost on what could be making Camille mad.

“We are all alone and you curse? Like you’re so uninterested on this date that you curse?” Camille said again and Sanji finally got the problem.

“I’m sorry, I was just thinking about something else, but it won’t happen again.” Sanji didn’t know why he was trying to mend this date when it was completely ruined already and no repair could fix it.

She scoffed and then said, “Of course it won’t happen again because this date is ending! You have been thinking about something else the whole time. If you were so unwilling to have a good time with me then you shouldn’t have made me waste so much time!”

She stood up and began walking in the direction to the city. Sanji felt ten times worse, if that was possible, and followed her to at least apologize. It wasn’t like he wanted to go back to the failed date, but if he could explain that it wasn’t his intention to suck so much at this date then that would be great. Sanji tried saying sorry and telling the woman that he really hadn't wanted to waste her time, but that his mind was off place that day.

Suddenly Camille turned around and surprised Sanji a lot. She got close to him and said, “Today your head isn’t here? Will it be here tomorrow? I’m staying for another day so it’s your choice.”

It was an ultimatum and Sanji didn’t know what to do. Would things be more at place tomorrow for a date? Would his mind stay in his physical location and not projected accompanying Luffy? Was Luffy fine or at least better now? If he was feeling under the blue again then Sanji comprehended that his head would be away, wherever he was located.

Apparently he took too much time because Camille shook her head and began leaving again. Sanji followed her this time as well mostly because he didn’t feel it was right to end things like this than for actual interest on her. He made her stop this time too saying that his mind really was lost on something else.

She looked at him once again, but the gleam in her eyes was different. It scared Sanji, but before he could protect himself, she said, “And what occupies your head so much anyway? You make it sound like you’re on charge of disassembling bombs.”

He didn’t like the tone she had, but he still answered even if it was rather embarrassing. “I was thinking about a friend.”

“You have been thinking about a friend for more than two hours? Are you sure this is just a friend?” She said suspiciously and Sanji understood what she was implying so he had to clarify things.

“It isn’t like that, he’s just kinda depressed. I should have postponed the date when I noticed his state.”

“So your way to help him is thinking about him continuously and making people waste time? What a way!” She was clearly mocking him, but he really could get why she was so mad right now.

“That was my mistake because I should have stayed today with him and tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow nothing! Go see that captain of yours if you’re so worried about him, but don’t make me lose more time on this!” She said and continued walking while he stood there dumbfounded.

She knew that he was referring about Luffy? But how when he had been so subtle? He could have been talking about someone else entirely, but she deducted so easily that the problem lay with Luffy. He felt more embarrassed, but in his stupefaction he couldn’t see Camille anymore to apologize once again. He didn’t know if the interview would even see the light, but as in the whole morning, he recalled that Luffy was feeling sad and that wasn’t okay in his eyes so he went to Roque and Tea’s tattoo studio fast.

He practically flew to their place and when he arrived and saw that Luffy was nowhere in sight he felt like dying. The couple asked him if something was wrong, but he didn’t answer and asked them instead if Luffy had been there. They said that he hadn't come in a long time ever since Bacon had been injured and Sanji got incredibly preoccupied. It didn’t make much sense that Luffy wouldn’t want to be with his friends so that really worried him. The couple noticed his state and asked him if he had fought with Luffy, but he said that he hadn't and that Luffy had gotten sad suddenly.

He commented that he had left him alone that day because he had a date and that he had sent him to the parlor, but when the date was over he came and Luffy wasn’t there either. The couple looked shocked about something, but Sanji didn’t get what their problem was and said that he would look for him at the house. With that he left quickly and didn’t pay attention to anything the couple tried to tell him.

Sanji almost ran back to the house and skipped the stairs with a high jump. He opened the door and found Luffy still sleeping in the couch covered with a blanket and Bacon on one side. Even while he was sleeping, Sanji just knew that he wasn’t feeling well yet. He went to wake him and softly called for him. He opened his eyes a lot sooner than what Sanji was expecting and seemed puzzled about something. He asked in a drowsy voice why he was there and Sanji wasn’t too sure if to tell him that his date had been terrible.

At the end he preferred to tell him the truth so he said, “My date didn’t go too well, but nothing too terrible. Are you feeling better now?”

Well, he wasn’t that sincere about it, but he really didn’t want to tell Luffy how awful the date had been. Luffy got in a seating position and had a worried expression, something Sanji really didn’t wish to provoke.

“Why did it go bad? Are you okay?” He asked Sanji with preoccupation in his features and he felt worse for causing this. Luffy didn’t even care that he was the sad one.

“We just didn’t click, but I’m more than okay. I’m actually worried about you. You slept the whole afternoon and didn’t go to see the guys. Why?” Sanji diverted the topic back to what he really wanted to know; if his date was shit he seriously didn’t care.

“I slept in! I didn’t want to get out either so I just stayed with Bacon, but I think I’m feeling better now,” he said with a small smile and Sanji grinned at him for some reason too.

Sanji offered Luffy food even if it was hours before actual dinner time and he could have gone to work at the restaurant instead. He was just really worried about Luffy not being himself since it was too odd; he was a ball of energy and seeing him so sad for no apparent reason was confusing and it kind of hurt Sanji too.

To make the meal more appealing he tried joking about how bad his date had gone, but it seemed like Luffy didn’t want to listen anything of it. For every comment he made of how he had screwed up with such a gorgeous woman Luffy made a pained face. When he said that Camille was fun and interesting, but that he had been too boring, Luffy grimaced and Sanji was so lost. What was he doing wrong here? He was almost thinking that Luffy didn’t like the idea of the date, but that didn’t make any sense.

He still tried asking him if he was angry at him for going in a date because his thoughts jumped to the fact that he hadn't taken care of Bacon, but he couldn’t since Luffy said he wanted to sleep again when he was done eating. After he ate everything he went to the bedroom and with his clothes still on he lay on the mattress with a sad expression in his face.

Sanji was panicking since this was really out of any experience he had with Luffy before. The captain was always happy and he was the force that brought light to others so seeing him so depressed was too much for Sanji. He was actually scared and at the end he decided that he needed to apologize to Luffy.

He lay on his side and hugged Luffy by the back. Normally it was Luffy who hugged him like this, but this time it was his turn. Nevertheless, Luffy wasn’t too responding with the hug even if he didn’t reject Sanji. He wasn’t sleeping either, so Sanji was confused and thought that if he apologized perhaps he would hug back.

“Hey, Lu, are you mad at me?” He used “Lu” because he knew that Luffy loved it when he called him that and he hoped that would ease the mood.

Luffy didn’t turn around, but he said, “Why would I be mad at you? You haven’t done anything.”

The way he made it sound was like Sanji had indeed done something but at the same time not. It was super strange and the worst type of paradox. Was he mad at him or not?

“Well, I could have asked you yesterday about Bacon, but I forgot ’cause I got distracted over a date,” Sanji said and he noticed how Luffy flinched. He made the conclusion that it was that what was bothering Luffy and tried to apologize again. “I’m sorry that I was like that. I said that I was going to take care of him and I didn’t.”

“Sanji, you don’t have anything to apologize about. Bacon is fine and it’s okay if you want…to have dates.” Sanji could literally feel the pain in Luffy’s voice so he couldn’t understand what the problem was if he said that it wasn’t that.

“Then why are you so sad? I want to know so I can help you,” Sanji said and hugged him tighter.

“Don’t worry so much. Whatever it is, it’ll go away with sleep,” Luffy said and Sanji only nodded because it was obvious Luffy wanted to rest.

Sanji accommodated in the bed and hugged Luffy softly but with a firm grip. Out of nowhere the idea of kissing him appeared in Sanji’s mind like always as of lately, but this time he didn’t fight it and brought his lips to Luffy’s jawline. He kissed gently there and his heartbeat was going crazy. He heard how Luffy sighed and he asked him if it was okay. Luffy nodded and he kissed him again softly, but then something invaded Sanji and he started giving him the same tender kisses but repeatedly, like butterflies kisses and he could hear how the captain laughed. Luffy was ticklish and when Sanji finished he took his hand.

Luffy held Sanji’s hand and even with his head completely dizzy he kissed him one last time in the cheek. Luffy tightened the hold in his hand with that kiss and brought it to his face. Sanji felt how Luffy kissed the backside of his hand and his heart almost exploded inside his ribcage. It was all too much, but then he heard Luffy snoring and that calmed his erratic heart a little.

Sanji could feel that the mood was millions times better than before so he was glad that Luffy was probably more normal now. He rested his head on his shoulder and began dozing off. One of his last thoughts was about the interview and Camille. He knew that the woman could actually destroy him in her next article, but if he was honest he really didn’t care. He was with Luffy and hugging him was much better than anything he could think of. Nothing could surpass this sensation; Sanji _loved_ it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is stupid, but he will understand at some point!  
> About Luffy, his time will come...  
> Thanks for reading!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone gets in the way, but Sanji is thankful...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic! To be honest I still haven't finished writing the last chapter because I began reading Jojo's bizarre adventure and that is keeping me from writing lol  
> Though the schedule is just the same nevertheless, so for next week, as in the next Sunday I'll post two chapters per week since they are really special chapters.  
> In other news, next weekend probably I'll post the Cobylu fic I have been saying for months that I have in my ideas, so please read it too when it's out!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

32. 

 

More than one week passed by since Luffy’s sad day and Sanji’s failed date and Luffy was looking just as happy as before, and in Sanji’s eyes he looked even blissful for some reason. He didn’t mind it though, because he preferred to see him like that so he was glad that he looked normal. Luffy went out to play and visit his friends or sometimes he stayed behind in the restaurant to accompany Sanji. That was somehow difficult for Sanji though. 

When Luffy was in the kitchen he still demanded for Sanji to call him “Lu” or he would get kind of bummed out and he was so weak that he called him by the nickname. The whole staff had laughed about it and he couldn’t blame them: the nickname in his lips and between them was hilarious. It was too mushy and Sanji really didn’t like to call him that in front of those bastards, but one thing he did like was to see Luffy’s eyes shining and the small blush that adorned his face.

Of course the annoying cooks just had to make fun of Sanji and one day John had called Luffy simply “Lu”. Sanji had gotten mad since he felt it was _their_ thing, something private, but he wasn’t going to reveal that to them. However, he didn’t have to worry much because Luffy had warned the other cook that if he called him that again he would fill his mouth with lettuce. Everyone had laughed and John had accepted easily that he wouldn’t call Luffy like that ever again. It had been what he deserved so Sanji was happy.

Now Sanji was currently receiving some seeds for the new kitchen-backyard he was planning. The backyard was very big and even if in the Sunny he was able to plant some things, he still wanted to try with new crops. It was harder for vegetables to grow at sea, but now that Sanji was in firm land he wished to seize that opportunity. If the vegetables were good enough he would use them for the restaurant, though that was an idea for much later on.

An old man had offered to sell him some seeds of fruit trees and general vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and some others. Sanji bought them before he had to open the restaurant while Luffy exclaimed happily that they could raise cows and pigs to eat them, but he really didn’t think they would be able to. He didn’t want to crush Luffy’s hopes so he only said that they would see with time.

Luffy was really excited about the whole thing and actually wanted to start working right away in the orchard, but Sanji was pretty sure that Luffy didn’t know how to start one and told him that they would begin tomorrow together. Luffy liked the idea and after that was settled they went to have breakfast.

They ate quickly because Sanji wanted to see if the clothes he had for farming were good enough. He had bought over six months ago an overall that looked fine on him, but now that he wasn’t fighting regularly he thought he was probably fatter and wanted to know if they fitted him alright. The worn shirts were good to go, but the overalls kind of worried him since he didn’t want to buy new ones or use clothes that were in a good state.

While he changed into the overalls Luffy played in the living room with Bacon. Luffy had said that he had some really worn out clothes and that they were good for the job so he was waiting for him. Sanji didn’t have as much trouble as he thought he would have, especially with the zip. If anything they weren’t even tight around his legs and they were really comfortable. He had underestimated his body and he was still as skinny so he went to show Luffy how he looked.

He called to get his attention when he was in the living room and Luffy turned around to see him. He had a smile on his face, but it disappeared immediately upon seeing him. Sanji thought that Luffy hadn't liked how it looked or something and felt disappointed, even if his intention wasn’t for him to like it.

“You don’t like how this looks?” He said and he knew that was almost something a woman in a couple would say, but he didn’t stop.

Sanji saw how Luffy gulped and after that his head went completely red and it was like steam was coming out of his ears. Sanji wanted to know what that reaction meant, but Luffy spoke up.

“No, nothing of that! I love how you look! It’s the first time I see you wearing jeans so I’m just surprised,” Luffy said and it was Sanji’s turn to blush.

“Oh ok, then. I’m glad you like it.” Sanji didn’t know why he was so damn shy at that moment, but his embarrassment was strong.

Sanji was turning around to go to the bedroom and change into his cooking uniform when Luffy made him stop. He seemed just as timid as Sanji, but he couldn’t understand his reasons too well and waited for him to say whatever he wished to tell him.

“Your legs look…amazing in them. You should wear them more often.”

Sanji’s heart did the weirdest leap in the middle of his chest and then went back to running inside of him. He shouldn’t have felt that well to listening Luffy praising his body or, more specifically his legs, but it still was a cool sensation. No, actually it wasn’t cool; it was kind of hot, as in warm in his stomach and chest.

He still thought that he had to show Luffy that he wasn’t too happy with his choice of words so he said, “What are you saying? It’s just some pants.”

Luffy chuckled and said, “No, it’s not. Your legs look great. It’s like they highlight them. You are purely legs with them.”

Both laughed loudly about Luffy’s way of thinking, but suddenly the captain stopped with his laughter and looked at him like he had discovered a treasure within him.

“Legs! That has got to be your new name. I’m gonna call you that from now on,” Luffy said with a satisfied smile while Sanji was dying.

“You can’t call me that! It sounds awful! I’m more than my legs,” he said and his face felt hotter.

“I know, but think about it! You spend kicking most of the time and even your restaurant is called that!” Luffy said through a wide a grin and Sanji really didn’t know what to say.

When he found something good to stop Luffy he said, “Oh, then you’re super unoriginal. Everyone calls me that, so what’s so new about you?”

He saw how Luffy scowled and he knew that he had gotten what he wanted. It was only a matter of time until Luffy realized how the nickname wasn’t so good, though for Sanji it actually sounded great and he was just too shy to be called that.

“No, people call you Sanji or Blackleg Sanji. I’m gonna call you “Legs” and that’s it. No one will call you like that other than me.” Luffy’s determination over something so unimportant surprised Sanji and he was at a loss of words.

Sanji didn’t know what got into him, but suddenly he felt like teasing Luffy. It seriously didn’t make any sense because it wasn’t necessary to do it, but he really wanted to get him irked and kind of annoyed so he began telling Luffy that tons of people would start calling him “Legs” and that it wouldn’t be exclusive.

Luffy didn’t like his words at all and tried to make him stop, but Sanji didn’t and continued with his teasing. Luffy got close to him and tried to ticklish Sanji, but that really didn’t work because he wasn’t ticklish in the first place so it was in vain. The only thing that Luffy’s proximity provoked was that they had fallen into one of the couches. Sanji began tickling Luffy that was on top of him calling him “Legs” and they both laughed. It was seriously stupid, but it was so much fun.

At some point, and Sanji really didn’t know how, they were impossibly close and he had his arms surrounding Luffy’s neck. Their faces were so close that if anyone moved they would certainly kiss. Sanji knew that they would kiss, but it was like a spell was keeping him there, ready to kiss Luffy. He was scared, but the emotion in the air, between them, was much stronger and was blocking his thoughts and mind. He had thought of kissing Luffy continuously during the week, but even if he was terrified of what it implied he preferred to stay with him in case he got sad again.

They were leaning in, their mouths inches away and Sanji was closing his eyes. The next time he opened them everything would change because this would mark something new, but he didn’t find it in himself to really care. When his eyes were completely shut and his heart was about to explode, he felt Luffy’s breath in his mouth and he almost shivered. One millimeter more and they would kiss, Sanji just had to be patient…

And patient he was, but someone began knocking in the door of the back and Luffy got up to see who it was. The moment was ruined and Sanji was disappointed but really thankful too. How could he explain later to Luffy that he had kissed him? What would that even mean? That he liked him? But Sanji hadn't been the only one willing to kiss so Luffy also felt that same pull? Did he like him?

Sanji was totally lost in his endless questions that only fed his anxiety, but he woke up from daydreaming fast when he heard Luffy exclaim too happily a name. Sanji looked to his left and saw a big person covered in a cloak. He was confused and annoyed and was about to ask Luffy who the hell that man was, but the captain beat him to it and had a wide smile while telling him.

“Do you remember my friend that was a wimp? Well he’s now a marine. Say hi to Coby!”

Sanji stood up from the couch and saw how the big covered man tried to make Luffy shut up. He pulled out the hood of his cloak and told Luffy not to call him that. Sanji’s mind really didn’t care who the person was, but his soul was almost crushed because he had lost a chance of doing the one thing he had imagined doing. He had the worst luck ever, didn’t he?

………………………………….   

Throughout the day Sanji had time to reconsider what he had wanted to do in the morning: kissing Luffy. While he cooked he thought about the pros and cons of that simple action and the cons side won over mostly because Luffy didn’t like him and he didn’t like him either so it would only confuse them. However, the fact that Luffy had almost kissed him too could probably mean that he had wanted the same, but did Luffy even know what he was doing? In Sanji’s opinion he really wasn’t aware of their proximity so he didn’t understand pretty much anything and Sanji didn’t want to ruin that.

It was more than obvious that Luffy really didn’t know what he was doing because when that marine friend of his showed up he only paid attention to him. Luffy offered his house to Coby and Sanji didn’t say anything to stop him even if it was kind of absurd to have a marine, an admiral at that, at a pirates’ house. Luffy just never considered using common sense, but Sanji had told him that it was his house too so if he wished for his friend to stay then he had to allow it.

Luffy’s friend called everyone’s attention without even trying. He used a cloth to cover his face and hair so people wouldn’t know that a marine was hanging out with a pirate, but the staff and the costumers all looked at him because it was obvious he was hiding something. Elijah had commented to Sanji that Luffy’s strange friend was super shady and that he shouldn’t allow him near his house. He didn’t listen to him, but Sanji knew where he was coming from.

Before the staff had come to the restaurant, Coby explained what he was doing there. He said that he had some days off and that he had wanted to see Luffy to congratulate him properly. According to him it had been impossible to celebrate Luffy’s achievement with his rank in the marines, so he had waited until things were more settled to finally see him. With the word “celebrate” Luffy was happy enough and had demanded from Sanji to prepare something good after he was done with work. The marine had tons of manners and said that it wasn’t necessary, but for Sanji it wasn’t that much of a problem in reality.

In the first place, Sanji really didn’t think Coby was a threat for them even if he was an Admiral, but he did think it was ridiculous that he was staying with them, two pirates and the Pirate King at that. He trusted in Luffy’s judgment so he knew that the guy wouldn’t pull any dirty tricks on them, but Sanji just wasn’t happy to have him there. It wasn’t because Coby had interrupted them; no, that had been divine intervention, but he just wanted to be with Luffy, not with someone else there in the middle.

So, Sanji spent the whole day with a bad mood. He told himself that it was because he wasn’t used to new people in his house, but he wasn’t so sure if it was truly that. While Luffy and Coby went in and out of the restaurant to visit the town or the riverside, Sanji stayed fuming in the kitchen. He knew he was being harsher than usual because he made Mariano cry twice that day, which only happened once normally. Of course he apologized, but he noticed that the staff knew that something was up with him.

Still, since Sanji had to prepare something for Luffy’s celebration with Coby and because he didn’t want to mistreat everyone further, he closed the restaurant one hour earlier. When he was up in his house he saw that Luffy was already there with the marine playing with Bacon. Even in Sanji’s bad mood that day he could see that Luffy was having a great time, especially considering that he loved to be around his friends. Sanji didn’t want to create a situation similar to when Luffy left because he told him that he could go if he wanted, but he seriously wished to recommend Luffy to visit the crew.

In the middle of his thoughts he cooked meat pie since it was Luffy’s celebration after all. Luffy seemed to notice that he wasn’t really there and asked him if he was tired or something, but Sanji didn’t feel any of that so he only told him to set the table. Luffy began putting the silverware and the dishes on the table in the dining room and tried to get Coby to do it for him instead, but Sanji told him that he was his guest and that he had to do it. Luffy pouted being childish, but continued doing the task.

When dinner was finally ready Sanji served the meat pie he had prepared. Luffy ate it all in two bites and Coby freaked out but laughed at the end. The Admiral ate like a normal person and after tasting the dish he said he was impressed by the flavor. He commented that he had always wanted to taste something from Sanji’s cooking, but that given his position it was difficult to approach him for that. Despite not feeling all that good himself, Sanji felt glad about the man’s words and smiled at him. However, he grew curious about something.

Sanji asked Coby how he had managed to get here without alerting the rest of the marines. Coby said that he had made up some excuse with his friend Helmeppo and that after that it had been easy to sneak and arrive in the island. He said that he didn’t have family after all and that Luffy was probably the other close friend he ever had. Luffy smiled at him and told him that he needed to get more people to like him because now he looked cool. Coby laughed but had a blush in his face and Sanji wanted to get out of the house immediately.

For some reason he was always the third wheel and he hated it. It was almost ridiculous how he always managed to feel like intruding in his own house, but he knew that they were celebrating Luffy’s dream so he stayed quiet. Between laughs, jokes and annoying pranks (of course pulled by Luffy), the dinner passed by and it was rather late. Sanji wanted to sleep right away, but Luffy wanted to listen to music and dance. The simple idea of seeing Luffy dance with Coby made Sanji miserable, but if that was what the captain wanted then he would let him be.

Sanji brought the music device from his room and turned it on so it could begin playing songs. Then he told Luffy that he was tired, something he really wasn’t, and left him alone with Coby. He felt how Luffy followed him in the corridor and when both were inside their room he told him that he was acting strange. Sanji felt like exploding for some reason and he only wished to tell Luffy that he wanted to be alone, but he just didn’t say anything and started changing into his pajamas.

He lay in his bed with a scowl while Luffy looked at him like he had grown two heads. Sanji pulled the sheets and blankets over his head and decided to just sleep. He heard how Luffy went back to the dining room and he tried to fall asleep, but the blankets were suddenly thrown away. When his vision wasn’t covered by the sheets he saw that Luffy looked completely annoyed and he didn’t even have time to ask what his deal was because the captain grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

Luffy went back to the living room with Sanji protesting behind him. He tried telling him that he was already on his pajamas and was tired for this kind of stuff. Sanji really tried to convince Luffy that he would have a good time with Coby, but he shut him up by saying that it wouldn’t be nice enough without him. That left Sanji lost on what to respond because he seriously wasn’t expecting that answer from Luffy at all.

While they argued, Sanji could see that Coby was standing awkwardly waiting for them to stop. Sanji really didn’t want to cause a scene or ruin Luffy’s celebration even if he achieved his dream actually eight months ago, so he decided to stay in the living room. He still didn’t want to dance so he just sat down in one of the couches. Luffy gave him a look of incredulity and had a scowl on his face, but Sanji wouldn’t get up from much that he wanted.

Luffy tried dancing with Coby though it was just him jumping from one place to another in tune of the music. No actual proximity between Luffy and his friend that mostly just laughed at his antics. Even while not doing anything at all other than observing, Sanji was somehow having a good time. Luffy was fun to be around and his good energy was contagious, so even if that day Sanji’s mood had been terrible, he still laughed at the end along them.

Luffy seemed to notice that Sanji was feeling better because he approached him with a smile. He tried to get him to stand up and dance with them, but Sanji really didn’t feel like doing anything. However, since it was Luffy he still managed to convince Sanji to at least move a little. He moved his weight from one foot to the other but without trying too hard. Luffy didn’t like that he wasn’t trying enough and grabbed him by the waist to show him how he had to do it.

For Sanji’s heart, Luffy holding him like that and being so close was too much and he felt how it almost exploded inside him. It was as if Luffy really didn’t get anything and just told Sanji to pay attention to him and follow his lead. Sanji held Luffy by the arms begrudgingly and he felt that their position was rather awkward and kind of odd; it would have been easier if Luffy held Sanji like that, but it wasn’t happening.

When they were more used to their positions Luffy began moving and dancing. It was strange as Sanji couldn’t recall a time they had danced this way. It wasn’t the first time Luffy held him by the waist, but it definitely was the first time Sanji held him like that and had him so incredibly close. It was so intimate and it was beyond new for them to be like that, but after a while Sanji grew accustomed of the close contact and began really enjoying himself.

Between the movement of their bodies and the laughter that erupted when they did a wrong turn, Sanji was feeling incredibly happy. All the broodiness of the day was long forgotten and he had to admit it was hard to remember what had gotten him so sad at some point. He was truly lost in a world where all that mattered was Luffy and it seemed the captain was in a similar state as him.

Sanji didn’t know how long it went by, but they only stopped when something clashed against the floor. Both looked at the source of the sound and saw that Coby was sleeping in the couch and that his glasses had fallen. The marine woke up with the noise, scanned his surroundings and when he finally seemed to realize where he was he apologized and excused himself. He said that he was sleepy and that they could continue dancing if they wanted, but Sanji also felt tired and this time it was true.

It was amazing that they had forgotten about Coby though. In the first place the only reason they had begun dancing was because of Luffy’s celebration that had started because of him. Either they sucked at keeping up with the environment or Luffy was the worst friend ever. Both options were terrible and not true at all, so that left Sanji thinking that whatever their deal was confronted them in ways they had never faced before. It made Sanji feel dizzy, but he didn’t want to give it more thought than that either; its implications were too dramatic in his opinion.

When Coby left for the room he was using, Sanji told Luffy that he wanted to sleep. Luffy nodded and they went back to their room. Sanji felt that they were happy, but something deeper was going on there and he didn’t know what to do with it. He opted to just lie in the bed to finally sleep. He closed his eyes fast and didn’t look at Luffy while he changed into his pajamas. Bacon hadn't even followed them to the room so it was more evident that they were completely alone.

Sanji could feel that Luffy was staring at him while he changed and walked around the room. When he lay in the bed and turned the lights off, Sanji felt how he got closer to him. It wasn’t strange for them really, but that night something in the air was different. It was like something would happen or change, but he just didn’t know or understand what. Would they kiss? If they did then there was no real reason for it, unless they liked each other, but Sanji didn’t think that was the case.

As he felt Luffy hug him, Sanji went on and on about why they didn’t like each other. The many reasons why they would never kiss and why that was good for them. It was like when he was sent to study and memorize something as a kid. When Sanji felt a hand run through his hair he started over and over again with his speech about how he didn’t like Luffy and he didn’t like him back (either).

When Sanji felt Luffy kiss his cheek, he recited his list of reasons as if in a prayer. He was scared and he seriously didn’t know how he was going to sleep that night. He was almost tempted to push Luffy away or tell him to go to Coby, but that last thought made Sanji so sad that he stayed put with Luffy just hugging him as always. He really thought that he was going to lose it, but before he could go crazy he heard snores by his side and he was able to breathe normally again.

What would happen tomorrow between them? Would his list continue to make Sanji think straight and rationally? Did Luffy like him? He was just curious about that, because it wasn’t like Sanji liked him or anything. It was simple curiosity, not more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week a really special chapter will be posted so please stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy dreams...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's a new chapter for this fic! As promised this chapter is special!  
> It'll follow Luffy's POV so for this chapter and the next one we'll see what exactly he thinks!  
> Since they are special chapters the next one should be posted either Wednesday or Thursday!  
> As always thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

33\. Special of Luffy

 

Nothing had ever felt like that before. It was the first time Luffy had felt something as marvelous as this. The lips that kissed his own lips were so soft he was probably in heaven or lost in paradise because seriously nothing was as good as the sensation of them. How the pink lips moved against Luffy’s mouth was so new and so exciting and wonderful. He didn’t have many words to describe it really so he just preferred to focus in what he was feeling.

When Luffy felt the need to breathe he stopped kissing the other person that lay below him. He opened his eyes and saw how another pair of eyes stared at him. They were a beautiful mix of blue and gray and it was a wonder how he had seen these eyes for so many years and yet they still looked as new as the first time Luffy observed them. They were warm and in the corners it was easy to catch the smile that was on the lips he had been kissing seconds prior.

Luffy lifted his left hand and ran it through soft blond locks. Sanji laughed and closed his eyes. It seemed he was enjoying this as much as him. The blush that adorned Sanji’s face warmed Luffy’s heart and all he wanted to do was to kiss him again and again until the world ended. He closed his eyes and kissed Sanji fully on the lips.

Sanji laughed again, but kissed Luffy after a short while. Their kisses were sweet and tender, nothing too deep, but it was just perfect for Luffy. Still, he was always up for new things and sensations so he wanted to try something different. He stopped kissing Sanji and tried to lay by his side. When he stopped straddling him he put both his knees on the bed together and rolled to the side so Sanji could be on top of him later, but that didn’t happen because he fell to the floor.

Luffy closed his eyes laughing and when he opened them he expected to see Sanji looking at him with a smile, but instead all he found was the white roof and he tangled between sheets and blankets. He didn’t recall being in his pajamas either so he was surprised and confused. Where was Sanji anyway? He got up and saw that he was on his side of the bed clearly waking up, but that didn’t make any sense because they had been kissing just a few seconds ago.

He noticed that he was also wearing his pajamas and he saw how he rubbed his eyes trying to wake up fully. He had a scowl and asked Luffy why he was making so much noise in the morning. Luffy didn’t know what to say because he just wasn’t sure about what was really happening. Sanji commented that Luffy had been turning a lot in his sleep and that it had been difficult sleeping next to him like that.

Sanji looked annoyed and his expression was drowsy, not at all lost in great sensations. He didn’t have the smile he had when kissing him and it was obvious he had been sleeping. They weren’t kissing so that meant that both had been sleeping; that Luffy had been _dreaming_. Luffy had been dreaming of kissing Sanji and what the hell did that even mean?

He was freaking out and Sanji finally seemed to wake up and asked him if something had happened. Luffy recalled all the kisses he had imagined and blushed. He wanted to hide from Sanji’s questioning eyes because he wouldn’t be able to lie if he asked him directly what his problem was. He didn’t have a clue what dreaming of kissing someone meant, but he had hunch that it wasn’t something he could ask Sanji just like that.

He still needed to know and he was sure that Coby wouldn’t be able to answer him and he needed a solution right away so he asked Sanji anyway.

“Hey…ah, so, what does it mean to dream about…kissing someone?” He stuttered so much he didn’t know if Sanji even understood what he was trying to say.

“What? Why are you asking that?” Sanji said and stood up from the bed. For some reason he looked upset and Luffy felt scared. Did he know already?

“I was just curious, you know? Not that it happened to me. No, not at all…” Luffy said and he knew that Sanji probably understood what was going on.

“Oh, so you dreamed about that last night,” Sanji said and he looked so miserable, but Luffy didn’t get why. Before he had a chance to explain, Sanji added, “It usually means that you like that person. Did you dream about your marine friend?”

Luffy was now completely lost because really, why would he dream about Coby? Sanji was the obvious and right answer so why would he think that it was Coby? It wasn’t like Luffy wanted to correct his mistake though so he just shook his head, but didn’t say anything more. He didn’t know if it was better that Sanji thought that his dream had been about Coby, but for now it kind of worked. He would have to see what to do later, but in that moment Coby worked just fine.

Seeing that Luffy wasn’t saying anything, Sanji said that he would shower before breakfast. Luffy was perplexed because Sanji really seemed sad and rather dejected if he was honest. What was his deal? He didn’t like Coby for him? If it was that then it wasn’t so terrible because Luffy didn’t like him as he liked Sanji… Wait, he liked Sanji. Did he just admit to that?

Finally Sanji’s words sunk in Luffy’s brain and he was having trouble breathing. He liked Sanji, his cook. He liked Sanji, his friend, his crewmate. He liked _Sanji_. What was he going to do? He put both hands up in his hair to calm a little and think. The only good thing was that Sanji apparently thought that he liked Coby for strange reasons so at least he didn’t know that he liked him…

How had it happened anyway? Luffy knew that Sanji was cool and intelligent and kind and pretty and beautiful and handsome and a good guy and…Damn it, he really liked him. What was he going to do when Coby left? He was a marine so there was no chance of him staying and when he left all of Luffy’s feelings would be obvious. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of liking Sanji, but he was pretty sure that he just didn’t like him back. He had tried to go on dates not long ago so it was evident he didn’t like him. Luffy wasn’t one to feel really embarrassed, but if things got awkward between him and Sanji just because of his crush on him then it would be awful.

But really, how hadn't he realized it sooner? He felt that sometimes it was like they were too close for regular friends, but it also was so natural to have him next to him. He was so stupid to not see it when he felt that his heart was going to explode if he didn’t do something. When Luffy spoke about “something” he actually meant kissing Sanji, but only now he knew what that need to get him as close as possible was. However, in his defense that was the second time he liked someone and really, his crush on John was like a joke compared to what he felt for Sanji. Remembering the dream he had almost set his face in fire so he stopped immediately.

While Luffy paced back and forth in the bedroom he thought that it was strange how Sanji hadn't noticed either because thinking back he knew that he was super obvious, so that meant that some other people probably knew too. Another good thing was that they hadn't talked about it so that meant that his secret was safe for the time being. When some time passed by and his feelings for Sanji were over no one would really remember, but just thinking about it made Luffy’s heart clench in pain. It seemed it wouldn’t be really easy to forget about the cook.

Luffy didn’t know how long he stayed pacing in the room, but then he felt the door closing and saw Sanji standing there with a frown. He asked him what he was doing with that face and Luffy felt like he was in a query and wanted to escape. It also really didn’t help that Sanji was there only wearing a towel so he practically ran to the bathroom after saying that he was counting how much money he had for that day.

When Luffy was inside the bathroom he splashed water on his face so it wouldn’t burn. It was going to be difficult to act normal around Sanji. No, it would be impossible. Luffy just liked him too much and he had been so dumb to not see it before it got to that point where he couldn’t control his heart anymore.

He showered trying to put every thought about Sanji behind, but his mind was set on recalling those kisses of his dreams. Without even meaning to, Luffy ended wondering if Sanji’s lips would feel as amazing as they seemed in the dreams. The simple idea made Luffy gulp and even under the water of the shower he felt thirsty and hot. Scared that he would continue thinking further on that, Luffy opted to dress quickly and escape from the house.

He went out from the bathroom timidly since he was afraid that Sanji would see him naked and he felt so stupid for that. They had changed and bathed so many times in front of each other that it seriously wasn’t any different now, but the problem was that yes, it was different and it was all his fault. Why did he have to like Sanji out of all people? He would never like him back. He was still too focused on women, though the fact that he also liked men sometimes gave some hope to Luffy.

Luffy changed into his day clothes behind the closet so Sanji wouldn’t see him and he felt ridiculous. How would they live together from then on? Did that mean that he would have to leave? He seriously didn’t want to consider that, but if his feelings blew out of proportion then he would have to as much as he didn’t wish for it. Luffy got all sad thinking that he would separate from Sanji and when he was ready he went to eat breakfast.

He was nervous and embarrassed, but his hunger was unstoppable and the only thing that satiated it was Sanji’s food. If he really did leave, he would miss Sanji’s exquisite food so damn much. Luffy would miss Sanji, his pretty face, his legs that seemed to never end, his laugh, his smile and his food so damn much he actually felt like crying. It had been awful when they had parted ways after achieving their dreams and it had been heartbreaking when he thought Sanji didn’t want him there with him, so would his very soul crush if he left now that he knew he was probably in love?

He felt Sanji and Coby’s stares on him, but he continued eating without paying attention to them. He was visibly nervous or really out of it, but it wasn’t like he was being the only one odd though. Sanji didn’t say anything and looked beyond sad. Luffy felt terrible seeing how his pretty cook suffered over something he wasn’t too sure what it was about, but he wished to know that he was happy.

After they had eaten breakfast Luffy almost flew with Coby from the house, leaving Sanji behind screaming at them to clean the dirty plates. While they ran through the forest Luffy heard Coby asking him why he was acting so weird that morning and when they were far from the house or at least out of earshot, Luffy stopped running and decided that he could tell the marine his dilemma.

They sat at a tree bark and Luffy didn’t know how to begin. He started many times, but he always gave up when the important part started. It was the first time Luffy had ever felt this nervous or unable to speak about something. He was a man of action and words were for when he was sure of what he was saying or after he had done something. Nevertheless, now he wasn’t sure of what he was even thinking and he hadn't done anything either so he was lost.

Meanwhile Luffy was entering a spiral of doubts and second-guessing, he could see that Coby looked worried. It wasn’t like he wanted to provoke that, but he was in unknown territory. At the end Coby stood up and tried to calm him down. His words weren’t really reaching Luffy and before he could do something, he felt a fist connect with his jaw.    

“Calm down, Luffy! You aren’t like this! Explain properly what the hell is going on,” Coby exclaimed vehemently and Luffy woke up from his desperation induced by nightmarish daydreams.

As Luffy wasn’t one to let anyone hit him and get away with it, he punched Coby back, but thanked him for his nice gesture. They had small bruises in their respective cheeks and when both were seated at the tree bark again Luffy began really telling Coby his problem.

“I think I like Sanji, Coby. I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” Luffy said looking at his friend while a blush spread in his face and neck.

Coby’s eyes widened and he said, “What? Are you serious? Are you sure?”

“I mean, I know I said that I just think, but yeah, I’m pretty sure. Do you have any…advice?” Luffy asked and saw how Coby’s face turned blank. It was obvious he didn’t have anything and that he shouldn’t have wasted time.

“Ok, ok, but why are you so troubled? It’s not like I have any way to help you though. If this was about ships then I’d know what to say, but this is…” Coby sighed and Luffy felt hopeless.

Luffy scratched his neck and averted his sight from Coby’s gaze. Then he said, “Well, he doesn’t like me back and I really don’t want to ruin our friendship. I love living here with him and I don’t want things to change and get awkward because of me.”

“I really don’t think things will get bad because of your feelings. It’s not like I know that Sanji likes you, but I’m sure that he won’t hate you because of it,” Coby said with a smile, but Luffy didn’t know what he was grinning for.

“He can hate me because of it? Damn it, I hadn't thought about it like that!” Luffy stood up from the tree bark and started pacing in the forest.

“You don’t listen to anything! I said that Sanji _won’t_ hate you so it’s okay. You’re kinda scaring me, Luffy. It’s the first time I ever see you like this,” Coby said with a grimace, but Luffy didn’t know what to tell him in reality.

He stopped pacing and looked at Coby. With a sad face he said, “It’s just that I’m so lost! What am I supposed to do? When I had a crush on this other dude, Sanji was there to help me, but if I like him then there’s no one to guide me!”

Coby approached Luffy and put both hands on his shoulders, and said, “Calm down a little. Luffy, I’m sure you have other friends here who can aid you. I can’t because I seriously don’t know a thing about love issues, but someone else surely does.”

“Yeah, that’s true, you’re right. I have other friends that can help!” Luffy said with a smile relieved with that idea. Then, and because he seriously could never stay quiet, he added, “Wow, Coby, you’re so reliable now! Back in the day you would have been screaming with me.”

The marine deadpanned and said, “Back in the day you wouldn’t have fallen in love with your cook, but let’s leave it at that.”

Luffy felt a pang in his heart and commented to Coby that he had been overly cruel with him. His friend only responded that he deserved that treatment for being annoying and they laughed well-naturedly. In the whole morning Luffy had been so stressed, anxious and nervous that laughter had been completely absent from his reactions. With Coby things were easy because they were really good friends even if they never saw each other much.

Much to Luffy’s bad luck though, they had to go back to the house. Luffy really didn’t want to do it and preferred to run to Roque and Tea’s arms and emotional support, but Coby just had to be useless and said that he had forgotten his glasses in the nightstand. He protested endlessly about how this was a bad idea and that he didn’t want to see Sanji for now, but Coby said that he wouldn’t enter his “boyfriend’s house” without him. Coby snickered at his jab, but Luffy hit him in the head to put him in place.

They went fast and when they were entering the backyard, Luffy saw Sanji and he almost died on the spot. Sanji was wearing the overalls from yesterday and was using a straw hat to cover his head. He looked impossibly cute and adorable and all Luffy wanted to do was to try and see what Sanji would like if he used his straw hat instead. Still, for some reason he looked rather sad and Luffy wanted to make his day better in whatever way necessary.

Luffy could have stayed staring at Sanji endlessly, but Coby elbowed him and made him really get inside the backyard. The marine called for Sanji and told him that he had forgotten his glasses so he had come to get them. Sanji simply nodded and Luffy noticed that he was probably mad, but he didn’t know why. He continued observing Sanji and before he could follow Coby back inside the house he was left alone with the cook.

He really didn’t want to stay alone with Sanji, but he still preferred to ask him what he was mad about. Luffy really wished to know, but his tongue was making it hard for him to speak so he just kept staring at Sanji without saying anything. At the end he heard Sanji sigh and then he looked up from the work he was doing in the floor.

“Do I have something in my back that you stare at me so much?” Sanji said and it was obvious he was angry at him.

“No, I just…I wanted to…” Luffy didn’t know where to begin and Sanji gave him a harder look. He gulped under the heavy stare, but he still managed to tell him, “I wanted to know why you look mad.”

Sanji went back to his previous work, scoffed and said, “You told me yesterday that you were going to work with me in the backyard, but I don’t see you here.”

Luffy flinched at Sanji’s words. He had completely forgotten about the whole farmer thing. He had been so captivated on what Sanji would wear that day that he really hadn't thought about the fact that his attire was meant for work and not just for him to see. Now it was even more difficult for Luffy to remember because seriously Sanji looked to die for with a straw hat.

Luffy stayed quiet lost in thoughts about Sanji and how great he would look with other different clothes until he noticed the menacing aura irradiating from Sanji. He didn’t want to get him madder so he apologized.

“I’m sorry, I just forgot! Tomorrow or when you want I can help you!” Luffy said with a smile despite feeling incredibly out of place.

“Well, it’s easy to see why you would forget. Not every day you have such good company,” Sanji remarked, but despite his nice words, Luffy was sure he was actually mad.

He didn’t have time to ask further because Coby arrived with his glasses on his hands. They didn’t have another excuse to stay there so they left Sanji alone. Luffy didn’t want to leave Sanji like that obviously angry, but he didn’t know what to tell him or what was affecting him either way. They decided to go immediately to Roque and Tea’s house and in the way there, Luffy commented to Coby that Sanji was mad at him.

He told Coby that Sanji had gotten angry that he had forgotten to help him in the kitchen-backyard they were preparing. Coby said that Luffy should have stayed with Sanji helping him and making comments about how happy he was to spend time with him, but Luffy was pretty sure he really wouldn’t have been able to tell him any of that. He informed Coby diligently that if anything he would have been distracted the whole morning staring at him looking all pretty with his overalls. Really, his mind was connected to those clothes and it was impossible for him to let go.

According to Coby, he found Luffy’s problem rather funny since it was the first time he saw him acting that way. Luffy told him that he couldn’t feel happy about his misery and Coby corrected himself and said that it was actually more exasperating than comic. For Luffy everything was problematic so exasperating was cutting it short in his opinion.

They decided to go visit Roque and Tea, but when they arrived to the tattoo parlor where they expected to find the couple, Luffy saw that the shop was closed and had a small letter in the door. He read it and it said that they were out of town for a short trip that day and Luffy was sure that he would die in the evening. He was internally screaming, but Coby told him to calm down since in the letter it said that they would be back tomorrow. It wasn’t so bad, but he cursed his luck because it was just terrible that his other friends, the ones that could guide him on this, were so spontaneous. They literally left whenever they felt like and it was awful in this situation.

Coby told him to simply wait like a normal person or go to other friends. Luffy discarded that option fast since there was a reason why he didn’t think it before. First of all, the staff from the restaurant would tell Sanji in an instant that he liked him so it was no good. His other real option was Mariano that was definitely closer to him, but what could that little dude know? He would be as useless as Coby now and would probably end up slipping and confessing everything to Sanji. The risk was too high so Roque and Tea were the only and right option. If he had to wait for them then he would do it.

Feeling completely betrayed by the world Luffy decided to stay in the forests to show them to Coby. Yesterday they had been at the riverside so the forest was still unknown for Coby and it would help set his head on something else aside from Sanji’s general beauty. However, and because Coby was the worst, he went to the house _again_ to get his binoculars so he could observe the wonders of the forest. This time Luffy went inside the house with Coby though he did notice how Sanji still looked gloomy.

They went in the direction of the forest and Luffy was about to go back just so he could talk with Sanji and probably fix his whole life if it meant that he would smile at him. He didn’t only because that could be associated with him liking him so he just showed the forest to Coby. He didn’t want to do it and Coby told him that he really sucked at love, which made him feel sadder and the marine apologized as he was usually really polite.

At some point they arrived to the highest trees in that part of the forest and Luffy told Coby that from there practically the whole city could be seen. They went up quickly and rested in a branch of an immense tree. It was a strong tree so it could bear their weights easily. When they accommodated Luffy was finally able to relax with the sight and taught Coby of the places that he knew while the marine observed them with his binoculars. He described them for how good and cheap was food from each location, but Coby liked his lessons.

Luffy being a man in love obviously went back to what his heart had dictated his mind to think about for months so he changed topics. He told Coby that even if there were really good places to eat nothing came even close to Sanji’s cooking. He was truly enchanted by him and his head didn’t stop at just his food so he searched with his eyes for their house. He couldn’t see the backyard too much so he was bummed out that he couldn’t catch a real glimpse of Sanji.

Coby laughed and told Luffy that he was being so obvious looking in the direction of the house. He was using his binoculars and then stopped at something and with a smile lent the artifact to Luffy. He said that it was something he would like to see and he truly expected to see Bacon in there, but instead it was Sanji smoking in the stairs that led to the house in the second floor.

He was still wearing the hat and with the cigarette in his lips he looked even prettier. He still had a sad face though and Luffy wanted for him to smile. He didn’t know how to help him now that he was on top of a huge tree and so far away so he kept staring at him. He focused on how good the overalls looked on Sanji. The shirt was cute and it combined perfectly with the jean fabric of the overalls, something Luffy knew out of instinct because he had zero idea of fashion sense.

He kept going lower with the binoculars’ help and stopped when his view landed at Sanji’s legs. They looked amazing in those things. It wasn’t like they didn’t before with his suits, but since he never wore overalls it was all too new for Luffy in the best way. His heart was going crazy and Luffy had the idea that Sanji’s legs were truly endless. He went back and forth from his thighs to his ankles without saying anything until Coby told him that he was creeping him out drooling like that.

Luffy really didn’t want to stop, but Coby asked him for his binoculars so he could look too. He understood that Coby wanted to check Sanji out like he was doing and got mad, but his friend told him that he was being stupid and that he wanted his binoculars back. They started struggling and ended falling to the ground. Midair, and only because he didn’t wish to die (so he could keep seeing Sanji mostly), Luffy stretched his abdomen and cushioned the impact for both.

When they landed the force still made Coby jump far away through the air and he fell with a thud. Luffy laughed at this and Coby scolded him and told him that he had no consideration. Then Luffy told him that it was caused because he decided to look at Sanji, but he responded that he didn’t have any interest in him. Luffy took it as if Coby thought Sanji was ugly, but the marine ended saying that he was beyond annoying like this.

As they didn’t have anything to do and it was getting late they went back to the house for the third time that day. They found Sanji preparing lunch and it was clear he was still mad because he made snarky comments about how he wasn’t too sure if they would come eat at the house. He still made something heavenly good for them and Luffy almost melted at the pretty blush Sanji had when he told him that his food was the only thing he ever wanted to taste.  

After the lunch Luffy felt too overwhelmed by his feelings because he seriously desired to be with Sanji, but since that wasn’t possible he felt sad. When Sanji washed the used dishes Coby told Luffy that he looked too gloomy and asked him if he wanted to walk around the riverside. Luffy accepted his friend’s idea and off they went, leaving Sanji once again behind.

…………………………………..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to end the chapter there because it would have been too long to make it into one chapter, so it's cut as not to make it too heavy!  
> Next chapter will also be in Luffy's POV so stay tuned!  
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> And yes, this is my own version of "and they were roommates!" so I hope you guys like it!  
> Thanks for reading!


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